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Renewables are consistently popular, including locally – but the concept of NIMBY-ism (Not In My Back Yard) looms so large in the British psyche that the public (and even more so MPs) consistently overestimate the prevalence of people who oppose renewable technologies like onshore wind and solar being built in their area.
As numerous surveys and studies have shown, renewables are consistently more popular than fossil-fuel-based energy sources:
In common with wind power, though, there’s a perception gap: we underestimate this level of support, with only 39% thinking ‘other people’ would support (rather than oppose) living near a solar energy development. MPs also get it wrong, underestimating the level of support for solar and guessing that only 28% of their constituents would want to live near a solar farm.
Across the political spectrum, there are innovative proposals for overcoming this perception gap, which typically focus on delivering tangible benefits to local communities. But the struggle to convince elected representatives of the scale of public support for renewables, set against negative commentary in some (right-leaning) media, continues. It isn’t a recent phenomenon: there’s a longstanding challenge around how minority opposition to solar and onshore wind is amplified through media commentary, although Carbon Brief analysis shows newspapers across the political spectrum are now far more supportive of renewables than they were in the early 2010s (even if 2023 marked a high point for editorial opposition to some net zero goals).
But unlike onshore wind, where planning constraints have made developments almost impossible in some areas, solar power is proliferating. This is driven mainly by domestic (rooftop) installation, with campaigns from previously hesitant groups like the Campaign for Rural England advocating rooftop solar.
Labour, if it enters government, has pledged to remove fossil fuels from electricity generation by 2030. This ambitious goal has more support than opposition among the public, suggesting that whichever party is in power, speeding up the decarbonising of electricity generation would be seen favourably.
In fact, the latest Climate Barometer tracker data shows that although opposition is slightly higher among Conservative voters, there’s still a clear majority in favour of new pylons and power lines for carrying renewable energy built in the local area. Labour MPs in contrast underestimate the level of opposition currently being expressed in polls. If significant numbers of seats change hands at the next election, an accurate reading of public opinion will be crucial for candidates of all parties.
Few policies to reduce emissions are more popular than home insulation.
Whether motivated by a desire to avoid ‘waste’, a reduction in energy bills, or a passion to protect the environment, preventing heat from seeping out of our houses is something that most people can get behind.
So the recent murmurings around the government’s Warm Homes Plan (specifically to reduce funding for insulating houses) don’t chime with popular opinion: Climate Barometer data shows that nearly three-quarters of the public (72%) support incentives and investment for homeowners and landlords to improve home insulation, compared to only 5% who oppose these. Similarly, 3 in 5 Britons (60%) are in favour of financial support to low income families to help them afford ‘green’ home upgrades like insulation.
The Treasury’s response will come in the autumn budget that looks set to be dominated by discussions about general taxation.
But Climate Barometer data shows that MPs are just as favourable towards insulation measures as the wider public: 85% support incentives and investment for homeowners and landlords to improve home insulation and 78% back financial support to low income families to help them afford ‘green’ home upgrades like insulation.
In the run up to this year’s party conference, Reform party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, urged investors to halt new offshore wind projects, despite news of a record high in green energy approvals. Labour condemned the move as “outrageous and unpatriotic,” warning it undermines investor confidence. But does Reform’s stance align with wider opinion?
Support for offshore wind remains very high in the UK – around three quarters of the public consistently have supported this form of renewable energy over recent years. Even Reform’s support is strong, with the majority of the party’s backers expressing a favourable view of offshore wind (60%). This support extends to other renewables infrastructure too – such as solar power (68%).
A majority of Reform backers also say they would support such new renewables in their own areas as well – 55% would support onshore wind farms, 58% solar energy parks, and 51% would support new pylons and power lines for carrying renewable energy. Part of the issue here is the ‘perception gap’ around renewables – while 3 in 5 Brits support local renewable energy infrastructure projects, neither MPs nor the public realise how strong that support is.