Nigel Farage faces a significant setback as recent polling reveals strong public backing for the UK’s net zero targets. According to a YouGov survey, 60% of respondents support the country’s environmental commitments, while only 25% oppose them.
Reform UK has taken a stand against Britain’s climate goals, denying the existence of a climate crisis and advocating for a return to fracking. Kemi Badenoch has also expressed intentions to abandon the UK Government’s climate pledges.
During COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, the Prime Minister criticized both Reform UK and the Tories, stressing the importance of wholehearted commitment to net zero to avoid adverse effects on energy costs and national security.
Support for net zero targets is strongest among 2024 Green voters, with 86% in favor, while a significant percentage of Labour and Lib Dem supporters also back the initiative.
Despite Theresa May enshrining the net zero commitment into law in 2019, only 48% of Tories currently support the target, with less fervor compared to other groups. Many Tory supporters indicate a tendency to support net zero rather than endorsing it wholeheartedly, with 37% opposing the targets. In contrast, a majority of Reform UK voters oppose net zero, with only 23% in favor.
Public opinion on net zero seems tied to personal expectations, with a large portion of opponents (75%) foreseeing negative impacts on their own situations. The survey, which surveyed 2083 adults, also highlights that 39% of Britons believe the government is not doing enough to combat climate change.
While only 2% of Britons believe the UK will achieve its net zero pledge, Labour emphasizes the importance of clean energy for national security, cost reduction, and job creation. The party criticizes opponents, like Nigel Farage, for endangering clean energy jobs and increasing financial burdens on families and businesses.
Labour’s initiatives aim to provide financial relief to millions of families on energy bills this winter and promote domestic clean energy production to stimulate job growth and reduce long-term energy costs.