Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Public opinion on climate change in the UK - statistics & facts
There is a certain air of optimism on the British political stage when it comes to tackling climate change. 2024 brought a change in government in the United Kingdom, which also brought a comeback for the energy transition and net-zero policies as key priorities. This scenario has boosted the confidence of people around the UK regarding their government’s response to carbon emissions reduction. Despite the increase in climate trust under the new Labour government, levels of public concern about climate change are still high, with Brits already feeling the impact of more recurrent severe weather events. At the same time, there is still resistance to certain climate policies that affect people’s everyday lives in a more direct way.
Another main policy proposed by the Labour administration is the decarbonization of the power system by 2030, with government and private sector expected to cooperate in the boosting of wind and solar power. Renewable energy developments have a high public approval in the UK, with over 80 percent of Brits declaring their support to solar, wave and tidal, and wind power projects. In addition, a key part of the decarbonization plan is to ensure the long-term security of existing nuclear power plants, as well as opening new ones. Despite concerns in terms of security and nuclear waste, public support for nuclear energy has increased, with 44 percent of survey respondents agreeing that nuclear will help combat climate change.
UK citizens are well aware of climate change, and they are confident about the new climate-forward approach of their government. On the other hand, Brits are already feeling the harsh impacts of more recurrent extreme weather. While more than half of UK residents still think it is possible to avoid the worst effects of climate change, they also agree that a more drastic change is needed if the country is to truly tackle it.
The climate concern picture
In general, people in the UK are worried about climate change, with almost 80 percent of survey respondents in August 2024 expressing some level of concern. This comes as no surprise, as climate extremes are being felt more often in recent years. In a survey carried out from February to March 2024, half of British respondents expressed that they experienced worse-than-usual extreme weather events in their communities. Floods and storms are the weather disasters causing the most internal displacements in the UK in the past decade. That gets reflected in the public sentiment towards the direct impact climate change has had on them. Over one-third of adults in the UK reported that high winds and floods were how the climate crisis affected them the most in the previous year.Support for policies
Brits think the government had the most impact on addressing climate change, surpassing other players like businesses and activists. The UK government, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, has pledged to put the country back on track to net-zero by 2050. One of the main policies proposed to reach climate neutrality is the phase-out of new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030. However, based on a survey carried out in July 2024, only a third of respondents in the UK supported the sales ban of new cars with internal combustion engines. The government plans to curb that unfavorable opinion with tax incentives to support electric vehicles.Another main policy proposed by the Labour administration is the decarbonization of the power system by 2030, with government and private sector expected to cooperate in the boosting of wind and solar power. Renewable energy developments have a high public approval in the UK, with over 80 percent of Brits declaring their support to solar, wave and tidal, and wind power projects. In addition, a key part of the decarbonization plan is to ensure the long-term security of existing nuclear power plants, as well as opening new ones. Despite concerns in terms of security and nuclear waste, public support for nuclear energy has increased, with 44 percent of survey respondents agreeing that nuclear will help combat climate change.
UK citizens are well aware of climate change, and they are confident about the new climate-forward approach of their government. On the other hand, Brits are already feeling the harsh impacts of more recurrent extreme weather. While more than half of UK residents still think it is possible to avoid the worst effects of climate change, they also agree that a more drastic change is needed if the country is to truly tackle it.
