Reform’s vow to rip up Britain’s climate commitments are not supported by the public, with a YouGov survey finding 60% back the UK’s green pledges, compared to 25% who are opposed
Nigel Farage has been dealt a major blow after new polling showed the majority of the public support the UK’s net zero commitments.
A YouGov survey found 60% support the UK’s green pledges, compared to 25% who are opposed.
Reform UK has vowed to rip up Britain’s climate targets, claimed there’s no climate crisis, and backed a return to fracking. Kemi Badenoch has also pledged to to abandon the UK Government’s climate pledges.
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Last week the PM savaged both Reform UK And the Tories at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, warning failing to be “all in” on net zero would be a disaster for energy bill prices and also undermine national security.
Support for net zero commitments was highest among 2024 Green voters, at 86%, with 76-79% of Labour and Lib Dem voters also in favour.
Theresa May enshrined the net zero commitment in law back in 2019, but the results show that just 48% of Tories back the target (48%), although this support is also less enthusiastic.
Tories in favour generally said they “tend to support” net zero rather than “strongly supporting” it – and 37% are opposed.
By contrast, the majority of Reform UK voters are against net zero, with 67% opposed and only 23% in favour.
Support for net zero appears linked with how people think it will affect them personally, with the large majority of those who are opposed (75%) expecting that it would leave them worse off.
The survey, which sampled 2083 adults, also revealed 39% of Britons say the government is currently not spending or doing enough to combat climate change. Another 13% think they are getting the balance right, while 24% say too much money and effort is going into the issue. Among net zero supporters, 57% say too little is being done.
However, currently just 2% of Britons expect that the UK will actually achieve our net zero pledge. Only 18% think Britain will get even most of the way towards the goal – among those who support net zero, still only 28% think we will mostly or entirely achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Responding, a Labour spokesperson said: “Communities across Britain recognise that clean power is the route to energy security, lower bills, and good jobs for our country. “That is why this government is building our clean energy future, creating thousands of good industrial jobs as we do so.
“Our political opponents want to leave the UK locked in dependence on markets we don’t control, and would wage war on homegrown jobs. We won’t let them.”
A Labour source added: “Nigel Farage’s hysteria on net zero is unpopular because it’s simply a war on workers.
“Reform’s dangerous energy policies would put a million clean energy jobs at risk, and would leave families and business saddled with higher bills.
“In contrast, Labour is giving six million families £150 off energy bills this winter. And we’re driving forward homegrown, clean power – which is creating jobs and will help get bills down for good.”