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Perception Gaps

Climate Citizens report: MPs underestimate the importance of the environment for voters

23 October 2023

The political mandate for climate action has strengthened over the past five years according to a report led by the Climate Citizens research group at Lancaster University. But the same report also notes there’s a belief among some MPs that climate concern is concentrated among middle-class and wealthier voters. One MP interviewed for the report said:

If you’re struggling you’re not going to be thinking ‘has COP26 been of success or not?’ They don’t give a damn about offshore, onshore wind, that’s completely irrelevant to their lives.

In fact, resources like Britain Talks Climate show climate change is important across social groups. And typically, the ‘loud minorities’ who oppose renewable energy projects are likely to be over-represented among wealthier constituents.

Our Climate Barometer tracker data shows that MPs underestimate the salience of the environment for voters relative to other issues.

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Climate Barometer Tracker 2nd July 2024

Tracker data: Narratives that cut through

There are dozens of different narratives in circulation about climate change, arguing in favour of climate action and green policies, as well as arguing against them. But which ones actually cut through to the public?

Climate Barometer tracker data shows that narratives that are pro-climate action are being heard and are generally agreed with by the public. Even a striking statistic about emissions inequality (the richest 1% emit twice as much as the poorest 50% combined) has been heard of and agreed with by 48% of the public.

In contrast, statements sometimes made in opposition to net zero and climate action (‘we can either fix the climate or fix the economy’) and key anti-net zero attack lines (‘net zero policies will make us colder and poorer’), or misinformation about 15 minute neighbourhoods are mostly unheard of.

Areas where misinformation is more prevalent include attitudes about electric vehicles (being ‘no more environmentally-friendly than petrol or diesel cars’), and the role of population growth in global carbon emissions.

MPs generally indicate higher exposure to media narratives about climate change, and more Conservative MPs in particular seem to agree with certain statements about the reliability of renewables ‘when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine’, and on the sustainability of electric vehicles.

Conservative MPs are more likely than the general population to read newspapers like the Telegraph, where many of the anti-net zero statements tested in the Climate Barometer tracker can regularly be found.

Climate Barometer Tracker 1st July 2024

MPs and the public underestimate public support for pylons

Majorities of the public across political lines show support for building new pylons carrying renewable energy in their local area. Alongside renewables, this is an area of consensus – even those intending to vote Reform UK, whose climate views can differ from the rest of the British public somewhat, show high levels of support compared to opposition (although notably, they also show the highest level of opposition, at 39%).

 

Despite the relative public consensus, both the public and MPs tend to underestimate public support for new local pylons. Only 7% of Conservative MPs and 17% of Labour MPs thought their constituents would support the measure.

Opinion Insight 22nd March 2024

What the public misunderstands about heat pumps

While Climate Barometer tracker data shows that overall public awareness about heat pumps is low, it seems that misinformation runs through what the public do claim to know about heat pumps.

An article from Carbon Brief summarises the top myths about heat pumps circulating among the British public and media discourse, including that 24% think running a heat pump costs more than a gas boiler, and 20% think heat pumps only work in new homes (Good Energy poll).

  • Source: Carbon Brief
  • Author: Dr Jan Rosenow
  • Date: 21st March 2024
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