LONDON—Claims that climate change comes from man-made emissions are to be re-assessed, as the university at the center of Britain’s ‘Climategate’ scandal has vowed to widen its investigation into the affair.
The findings of scientists at the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), in the University of East Anglia (UEA), were thrown into doubt after leaked e-mails revealed that scientists may have manipulated data to support their claims.
The revelations have threatened to damage the credibility of climate science, and came at a time when the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was found to have made an inaccurate claim about the rate at which the Himalayan glaciers were melting.
The UEA said that it would widen its current investigation into the leaked e-mail scandal, to encompass a broader assessment of the scientific findings of the unit.
The investigation will be carried out with the help of Britain’s national scientific academy, the Royal Society.
The widening of the inquiry may indicate that university bosses believe that the credibility of climate science has been damaged in the public eye.
“Published papers from CRU have gone through the rigorous and intensive peer review process, which is the keystone for maintaining the integrity of scientific research,” said Trevor Davies, pro-vice chancellor at the UEA.
