There is clear public appetite to go further and faster on net zero

Senior Researcher Alex Luke wrote for Business Green about popular support for net zero even after the Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked an increase in energy prices, and other findings from our research report Taking the Temperature. He writes:

“Public support for Net Zero remains at least as high as it was before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A second poll for Onward, conducted in early April, found that net support for Net Zero has actually increased to 55 percent, up six points.

Voters understand that rising gas prices are the primary driver behind higher bills – not green levies, which have stayed the same. And they understand that geopolitical instability will only lead to further volatility in international energy markets. As a result, voters now think, by a ratio of two-to-one, that the conflict in Ukraine means we should accelerate our progress towards Net Zero rather than slowing down.

And they are clear about how we should do this. When asked for their opinion on investing in different energy sources in response to the Ukraine crisis, renewables were the clear choice – with offshore wind and solar enjoying net support of 78 and 77 percent respectively. By contrast, net support for fracking was just 4 percent.”

Read the full article here.