Poll shows confusion among MPs over net zero
New polling shows confusion among MPs over net zero
By Alasdair Johnstone
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New polling of MPs by YouGov for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) [1] found that a majority of all MPs (84%) support the UK’s net zero emissions 2050 climate change target.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says: “limiting human-caused global warming requires net zero CO2 emissions” [2]. Yet only two-thirds (66%) of MPs recognise that it is essential to reach net zero in order to stop climate change, although only 10% said the opposite was true.
The poll, a collaboration with Climate Barometer [3], found that despite the current Conservative leadership’s recent announcement that it no longer supports the 2050 target, just under half (40%) of Conservative MPs say they still support it. The target was introduced to Parliament by former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May and backed by subsequent Conservative leaders.
Commenting on the findings, Alasdair Johnstone, Political and Polling Lead from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said:
“The clear majority of the British public support the net zero target, and even the majority of Reform voters support action to tackle climate change, yet there’s still confusion among MPs over the fact that reaching net zero is essential for the world to stop climate change and the floods and droughts it causes getting ever worse.
“With the second worst harvest on record in England last year following a climate-fuelled wet winter and possibility the driest spring on record leaving fields dry and cracked, the impacts of climate change are coming ever closer to home for constituents and MPs alike.”
The results also showed that there remains a gap between MPs and their view of public attitudes when it comes to energy infrastructure. MPs thought their constituents would more likely oppose (44%) than support (16%) onshore wind, oppose (36%) rather than support (16%) new solar and oppose (79%) rather than support (5%) a new fracking site.
Notably 40% of Conservative MPs would support a fracking site in their constituency even though 75% thought a majority of their constituents would oppose it.
The recent poll released by Climate Barometer of public attitudes to energy infrastructure built in their area [4] revealed that 69% would support onshore wind, 73% for new solar, with fracking opposed by 61%.
Polling by Focaldata for ECIU at the time of the local elections [5] found that more than half (54%) of those who planned to vote Reform supported the concept of introducing polices to stop climate change and put in place targets to keep the UK on track for meeting those greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Recent polling published by Climate Barometer asking explicitly about support for “net zero” found that 32% of Reform voters support it and a majority (54%) of Conservative voters back the target compared to 38% opposing.
The Conservative leader has said she believes the net zero 2050 target to be “impossible”. From the poll, most Conservative MPs didn’t agree or didn’t have a view on the statement “net zero 2050 is impossible.” The poll found 39% of Conservative MPs in agreement with that statement. 29% disagreed, 18% said they heard it but didn’t know what to think and 14% didn’t know in general.
Notes to editors:
1. Survey of 108 Members of Parliament conducted by YouGov between 4th – 22nd April 2025
2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: “From a physical science perspective, limiting human-caused global warming to a specific level requires limiting cumulative CO2 emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions”
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/summary-for-policymakers/
3. Climate Barometer
4. Climate Barometer, new public polling: behind the noise on net zero
5. Local Election Poll – Majority of Reform voters back climate targets
For more information or for interview requests:
George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net