Backlash against net-zero is being manufactured, according to new analysis from The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Persuasion UK.
The research shows that voter backlash against net-zero is overstated, with political division and warped media narratives posing the largest risk to failing to meet net-zero targets.
The analysis found that 60% of the British public is supportive of the UK’s 2050 net-zero target, with only 4% of Labour-to-Reform switchers citing climate action as the reason for changing their vote.
Becca Massey-Chase, principal research fellow and head of citizen engagement at IPPR, said: “Claims of a voter backlash against net-zero have taken hold in Westminster, but the evidence shows they are largely a political myth.
“The British public continues to support climate action, and politicians risk fighting the wrong battle if they assume otherwise.
“The real danger is not public opinion – it is elite division and media narratives creating a false sense of risk.”
Researchers have attributed the misperception of anti-net-zero sentiment to a polarising political environment, where rhetoric becomes increasingly more hostile, despite a lack of change in public sentiment.
This analysis shows that online news coverage was two and a half times as negative towards net-zero than public sentiment.
Amid cost-of-living pressures, climate has fallen down on the list of voter-priorities, allowing for changing political allegiances to have an effect on the net-zero discussion.
The IPPR warn that if climate commitments are downplayed, net-zero is at risk of being characterised as a politically problematic goal.
Sam Alvis, associate director of environment and energy security at IPPR, said: “Some politicians are deliberately trying to undermine public support for climate action.
“But the public still cares about protecting themselves and their children from the impacts of climate change.
“In the face of these constant attacks, policymakers must focus on making clean energy choices simple, affordable, and part of everyday life.”
Featured image credit: Karsten Würth via Unsplash
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