Election poll: Voters for all parties committed to net zero
Poll finds widespread, majority support for the UK’s net zero climate target across voters for all main parties.
By George Smeeton
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New polling [1] conducted by More in Common for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) in the days leading up to the local elections has found widespread, majority support for the UK’s net zero climate target across voters for all main parties.
Overall, three-quarters (76%) who said they were likely to vote in the local elections support the UK Government’s target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with 69% of the public as a whole also backing it. Support for the target easily outweighed opposition among voters of every party, including Reform UK which, while publicly opposing the target, has more than half (52%) of its voters supportive of net zero.
The poll also found those who said they were likely to vote in the elections see renewable energy and clean technology as the top sector (27%) for creating economic growth opportunities in their area, above construction (21%) and hospitality (19%).
Alasdair Johnstone from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said: “As voters went to the polls it’s clear that they remain as committed as ever to the UK’s net zero target, necessary for us to do our bit to stop climate change getting ever worse.
"Those who argued that the Uxbridge by-election was a sign to row back on environmental policies nationally have been proven wrong. When the parties which performed badly come to doing the post-mortem, what is clear is that rowing back on climate targets is not likely to offer them electoral success. A majority of Conservative and Reform voters back net zero.
“There’s a definite perception among the public that Conservative councillors and MPs do not care as much about climate change. Ben Houchen’s win in Tees Valley shows that a Conservative Mayoral candidate can buck that trend, committed as he is to net zero and the economic growth it is helping to drive.”
The poll found more voters think Conservative councillors don’t care about the environment (38%) than do (29%), but the reverse for was true for Labour councillors perceived by two-fifths (42%) of voters to care than don’t (23%) about the environment.
It also found two-fifths (43%) thought Conservative MPs do not care about the environment compared to 28% believing they do. Two-fifths (39%) believe Labour MPs care about the environment, compared to 26% who think they don’t.
A CBI Economics report, commissioned by ECIU, has found that the UK’s net zero economy is worth £74 billion and grew 9% in 2023, compared to relative stagnation for the economy as a whole [2].
London polling also released today by ECIU found that most voters understand that ULEZ is not a ‘net zero’, but also not a big issue in the run-up to the elections [3].
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Polling conducted by More in Common of 2005 English adults between 29th April – 1st May 2024
2. https://eciu.net/analysis/reports/2024/the-uks-net-zero-economy-2024
3. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/london-voter-poll-ulez-not-net-zero-not-a-big-issue
For more information or for interview requests:
George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: +44 (0)7894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net