Election poll: what do rural voters think about climate change and net zero?
We commissioned More in Common to poll 50 of the most ‘highly rural’ seats in Great Britain, with five from each English region outside London, 5 in Wales and 5 in Scotland.
By Tom Lancaster
Share
Last updated:
Where are the most rural constituencies?
Key findings
How worried are rural voters about climate change?
Rural voters show high levels of concern for climate change. Around three in four (73%) voters in the most rural seats are concerned about climate change, compared to the national sample results of 70%.
Amongst those in these rural seats who voted Conservative in 2019, but now say they intend to vote Labour, concern about climate change is higher at 81%, as is support for the net zero target at 77%.
These rural voters are more likely to have noticed climate impacts in their local area, with two-thirds (66%) seeing more frequent or severe flooding and more than half (55%) noticing crop damage as a result of extreme weather like drought or floods.
Do rural voters support net zero policies?
68% of rural voters support the UK’s net zero target, and only 12% oppose it, compared to 65% support for the national sample. Support for the target amongst current and former farmers rises to 72%.
Policies that would help the UK achieve net zero in the farming, land use and renewables sector are also popular with rural voters. For example, over three in four (78%) rural voters support government schemes that would help farmers to transition to environmentally friendly farming practices, which is much more than the national sample (59%).
In addition, 63% of rural voters support some farmland being converted to nature reserves, in order to protect wildlife from the risk of flooding caused by climate change and over eight in ten (81%) of rural voters supported farmers using more of their land for nature friendly farming in their local area.
What do rural voters think about pylons?
54% support 'new look' pylons being built in their local area, and support in rural communities in the East of England, where most pylons are proposed, is the highest of any region.
Methodology
More in Common polled 2,034 adults in the five most rural constituencies of each of Britain’s regions (excluding Greater London) between the 16th April and 6th May 2024. The same questions were also asked to a nationally representative sample of 2,061 adults between the 16th April and 23rd April 2024. Full weighting methodology and data tables can be found at https://www.moreincommon.org.u.... More in Common is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by their rules.