We use cookies where necessary to allow us to understand how people interact with our website and content, so that we can continue to improve our service.
We only ever receive anonymous information, and cannot track you across other websites.
View our privacy policy
Stories of local opposition to renewable energy projects are very recognisable narratives – the idea of ‘not in my backyard’ is one that drives the discourse around many community initiatives. But it doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny, and misperceptions around public opinion abound.
Stories of local opposition to renewable energy projects are very recognisable narratives – the idea of ‘Not In My Backyard’ (NIMBY-ism) is one that drives the discourse around many community initiatives.
But it doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny, and misperceptions around public opinion abound.
Polling of rural voters by Public First for the centre-right think tank Onward found that the majority, across all political divides, supported (rather than opposed) a solar farm three miles from their home. A survey by Britain Remade found that although there was a drop in support for local wind and solar versus support ‘in general’, the drop was only around 10%. Our own Climate Barometer tracker data backs this up, with local solar and wind farms favoured much more than fossil fuel developments (drilling or mining).
Wider research shows how supportive people are of solar in its various guises: for example, more people are in favour (48%) of installing solar panels on historic buildings, if not visible from the ground, than oppose it (27%). 68% would be embarrassed by their MP if they were campaigning to prevent a solar park being built in their area, and 73% strongly support or somewhat support creating publicly owned renewable energy (solar, as well as wind and wave/tidal energy).
Not only that, accounts of local concern and uncertainty around new or hypothetical clean energy projects may not stick around once projects are completed. Polling by Censuswide and Copper Consultancy, reported by The Times, finds that solar farms increase in popularity after they are built (62% strongly support) compared with when they are in development (17% strongly support). Living near pre-existing clean energy infrastructure doesn’t seem to affect support for future clean energy projects in a negative way. In fact, those who live near clean energy projects are more likely to support than oppose more of it.
People also tend to overestimate the level of opposition to clean energy – a theme throughout the Renewables topic thread and explored in depth in Perception Gaps. Climate Barometer tracker data shows this trend is even more pronounced among MPs: only 18% believe that in their constituency more would support than oppose a new wind farm, and MPs overall overestimate public opposition (at 45%, compared with the actual figure of 28%).
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.