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Opinion Polls are falling fast on Net Zero in the UK

By Jo Nova

It’s rare to see such a dramatic 20 point shift in such a short amount of time

Four years ago, 54% of Brits said they wanted Net Zero to happen even sooner than 2050. Now only 29% do. It’s still a crazy thing to want, to spend billions to change cloud cover in 2100AD, but somehow 20% of the population are more skeptical than what they used to be.

This is a sizeable survey of 4,027 UK adults from 21-27 August 2025.

The ‘culture war’ on net zero: Why have Brits stopped supporting climate policies?

These anodyne surveys will always  overestimate the enthusiasm for Net Zero, because they are not asking people how much they are willing to pay, or whether they would rather the government solved something else. Nor are they giving people gung-ho skeptical choices — like asking them if climate change is more like a religion than a science, for example. A question that gets people thinking in a way that 30 years of propaganda never does.

EuroNews asks why this shift happened, but has no idea. They don’t mention the bill shock in electricity prices in the last few years, or the way science was used and abused during the Covid era. Instead they blame the media…

The ‘culture war’ on net zero: Why have Brits stopped supporting climate policies?

By Liam Gilliver, Euronews

How the UK’s net zero attitudes are shifting

In 2021, surveys found that 54 per cent of the British public believed the UK government should achieve net zero before the 2050 target. Now, this has fallen to just 29 per cent.

The study*, carried out by the Policy Institute at King’s College London, Ipsos and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations also found that the proportion who feel the UK either doesn’t need to reach net zero by 2050 – or shouldn’t have a net zero target at all – has risen from nine per cent to 26 per cent over the same period.

Researchers warn that between 2024 and 2025, support for climate-driven policies such as low-traffic neighbourhoods, taxes on those who fly more, subsidies for electric vehicle (EV) purchases and a tax on environmentally damaging foods have all declined.

The naughty media apparently focus on Net Zero and omit any references to climate change, tsk, tsk.

Researchers argue their findings show a “divorcing” of climate change from the solution of preventing emissions from rising, and come amid low levels of understanding around what net zero actually means.

The analysis found that a year before the legislation was signed, 100 per cent of articles across nine major publications mentioning the term ‘net zero’ at least three times (including in the headline) also mentioned ‘climate change’ or similar terms such as ‘global warming’. However, by 2024, this figure had plummeted to just 59 per cent.

There is hope:

…the percentage of 16-34-year-olds backing the target has dropped from 59 per cent in 2021 to 37 per cent in 2025.

It’s a big survey of 4,027 UK adults from 21-27 August 2025

REFERENCE

Declining Urgency, enduring support, Public attitudes to Net Zero and climate policy, IPSOS, The Policy Institute, Kings College.  [Download PDF]

 

 

 

9.9 out of 10 based on 81 ratings

46 comments to Opinion Polls are falling fast on Net Zero in the UK

  • #
    Johnny Rotten

    Net Zero is the IQ of any Politician.

    Now to be called Nut Zero.

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    • #
      TdeF

      Rapid end of days CO2 warming always was a scam, a political scam. Al Gore in his Politics degree at Harvard (football entry) studied Richard Nixon’s use of novel television to get elected.

      So in his first tilt at the Presidency in 1988 he came up with the CO2 story and managed to get the UN and World Meteorological Society and James Hanson from NASA together. Al announced Armageddon in Congress on 30th June 1988. The IPCC was formed the same year. And eveyone was delighted, especially Al Gore who next time came within a few chads of being US President.

      However Net Zero was made up as a goal because humans have zero observable effect on CO2. Politicians created the idea that emissions must be reduced not CO2. Especially in Democratic countries. So nobody talks about CO2, the alleged problem.

      But most of all, when China is opening two new Coal power plants a week and most of the world including the US, India, Africa, South America, Asia do nothing, what is done in the UK and Australia is utterly irrelevant.

      So why are we alone being taxed to death and sending the cash to China? Or is that the answer?

      280

      • #
        Brad

        WA state in the US is on the same path to stupidity.

        40

        • #
          TdeF

          You can include all tbe BLUE states. They hate America. Just as Labor hates Australia. The destruction of democracies by leftist politicians with their fake science is universal with friends of China. It makes you wonder if they are all being paid.

          120

      • #
        Patrick Healy

        You should try telling that to to brainless who just elected a communist/greenue in a by election in Manchester.btw the Tories got about 700 votes.finishing fourth.

        00

  • #
    David Maddison

    Net Zero CO2 means Net Zero progress or more likely regress as we already have in Australia with Australia being one of the few countries whose standard of living is declining.

    Even Their ABC admit it.

    At the following link see graph “Household disposable income per capita” comparing OECD countries and Australia.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-07/can-albanese-government-fix-the-economy-four-corners/105260320

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    • #
      TdeF

      And I just read, the highest % of public servants in the world. Many enforcing the collection of all the hidden CO2 taxes. Which are not taxes as they do not go into General Revenue, except that Australians tend not to take their own government to the High Court to challenge these illegal laws.

      160

      • #
        David Maddison

        And I just read, the highest % of public servants

        See John Anderson video: Very disturbing.

        https://youtu.be/2Z06n-4ircs

        In fact, just as in Ancient Rome, the bureaucrats generally enjoy a significantly higher standard of living than the peasantry.

        Towards the end of the Roman Empire, the number of bureaucrats skyrocketed and to pay for all this massive amount of government, taxes on the peasants were raised to oppressive rates.

        Sounds just like Australia.

        180

        • #
          TdeF

          So taxes are increased to pay more tax collectors who then vote for the government who hired them. It’s a form of catastropic feedback economic cannibalism. And soaring taxes kill actual productivity and drive inflation, as is so evident.

          140

  • #
    RickWill

    Trump’s second coming has been God’s work. His influence is global and unparalleled.

    ON offers the path back to sovereignty and democracy for Australia. Get rid of the UN stooges who have infested both Labor and LNP.

    371

    • #
      David of Cooyal in Oz

      My fear is that the nasties will already have plans, and/or actions in place to subvert ON as well.

      80

      • #
        ozfred

        While ON may do (very) well in the next election, I foresee no other political party being willing to enter a coalition which includes ON.
        Second prophecy is that the freedom of political speech will be headed multiple times to the High Court.

        50

  • #
    Rowjay

    You know what an idealist is?
    That’s a person who notices that a rose smells better than a cabbage, so they think a rose will make a better soup.
    (h/t Nelson De Mille in “Spencerville”).
    In our current world, renewables are the rose and conventional power generation the cabbage.
    Enough said…

    191

    • #
      Saighdear

      Hmmm, Now why do you say that ? Sweet ( at least European soft fruit ) gets sour when cooked … needs lots of sugar to taste. So why wouldn’t you just keep Roses for scent and cabbage for soup. Why do we make a mess of the Earth’s surface by poking around for “Precious” metals – just to sit in a vault, or hang around someone’s protuberances … Hmmm Idealism How many sides does a Concrete block wall have ?

      20

  • #
    Robert Swan

    On Tuesday, I linked to this video by Pew Research on why polls repeatedly underestimate support for Trump. It’s less than 2 minutes long but, if you’re really time-poor, the meat of it starts 30 seconds in.

    Relevant here because exactly the same weakness applies to surveys on any contentious topic. If people respond at all, will they respond honestly?

    Near the end of that video she says pollsters are “using math” (peace be upon it) to fix the problems. Sorry, no cigar.

    Bigger survey helps, but it’s doubtful that 4027 people will yield the proportions of the UK population as a whole. If a can of paint is really well mixed, analysing one drop will tell you how it’s made up. How many drops does it take if the paint’s all streaky in the can? I think the UK is pretty streaky.

    151

    • #
      TdeF

      Publicly attacking the successful mens Ice Hockey team in their incredible gold medal triumph will alienate millions. The behaviour of the Democrats at the State of the Union night left everyone speechless. It would be fair to say that the Democrats stand for nothing.

      110

  • #
    Ross

    Just reinforces my view that the Net Zero was essentially a marketing program. That is sounded cool – like Coke Zero. Something akin to a Nike ad, which made action for climate change sound really woke. “Sick”, indeed. It worked, first it fooled the politicians (looking at you Scott Morrison ) then also a lot of the population. Plus it took all that boring sciency stuff out of the conversation. What do you believe in – Net Zero or the theory of CO2 radiative forcing causing adverse catastrophic climate change? Most people – Net Zero. Ask them what it actually means and you just get blank stares and they probably will shuffle away from you. Luckily a lot more people realise now it’s just more pain for no gain. Maybe that should be the marketing campaign against Net Zero. More pain, no gain. Sounds catchy.

    141

  • #
    Dennis

    Net zero economic prosperity with good management to avoid complete economic collapse

    50

  • #
    Dennis

    Trump Address some details;

    * Inflation Rate Currently 1.7%
    * US$18 trillion of private sector investments secured, paid up or committed and underway

    Note: Australia gross Federal debt now exceeds only $1 trillion

    120

    • #
      David Maddison

      Note: Australia gross Federal debt now exceeds only $1 trillion

      But if you take into account state and local government debt, who are also outspending drunken sailors, it’s more like

      $2.241 trillion .

      http://australiandebtclock.com.au/

      But few people complain any more. I honestly think that it’s because Australians, including politicians, have been so dumbed-down and are so innumerate that they are unable to comprehend the magnitude of that number. And/or they simply don’t care.

      Back in the day, even the fake conservative Liberals would complain about the size of Government debt but they haven’t done so for decades.

      Similar for possibly one of the biggest scandals in Australian or even world financial history, $15 billion of taxpayer money being allegedly misappropriated by the CFMEU building union and their friends in Victoriastan. The silence is deafening. It makes the Somali/Minnesota scandals in the US look like child’s play.

      160

      • #
        Dennis

        Howard and Costello repaid Labor debt and interest in full 1996-2006 (debt free and some surplus by November 2007 when Labor took over).

        Abbott and Hockey from 2013 and 2014/15 Budget Plan set goals for returning to surplus from six years of Labor deficits and debt creation, $400 billion gross debt and debt to pay for 2013/14 Labor Budget commitments they made no provisions to pay. Labor attacked the debt used to pay for their unfunded budgeted items and the extra $100 billion of debt needed to provide money supply in the immediate future.

        From 2016 to 2022 was working off the Labor damage after Howard Government terms. The 2019/20 Budget Plan was promoted as “back into the black” by June 2020, in January 2020 COVID-19 arrived and expenditure unforeseen incurred.

        The 2022/23 Budget by Freydenberg forecast deficit but also economic growth returning after pandemic downturns, States driven mainly. In October 2023 Treasurer Chalmers of Albanese Labor announced a revised 2022/23 Budget and a surplus forecast, all from economic growth returning, windfall tax receipts and more.

        As former Treasurer Costello said recently debt cannot be repaid, only interest liability paid, until budgets are in surplus and economy growing strongly

        60

      • #
        David of Cooyal in Oz

        I think you’re blaming the victims David.

        The Blob controls our government and our media, and whistleblowers, even respected scientists find themselves unemployed after validly challenging invalid scientific propositions.
        (I suspect the Blob is more widely entrenched also.)

        So now we’re reduced to hoping that the next election will at least reduce that control. Hence the low support for the major parties. And the increasing popularity of ON.
        In my view, the last election result was caused by a significant swing against the Greens which resulted in the ousting of their leader. And resulted in the election of the Teals at the expense of the country Liberals.
        Cheers,
        Dave B

        50

    • #
      Dennis

      The U.S. inflation rate for February 2026 is currently at 1.58%. This reflects a decrease in consumer prices compared to previous months, indicating a trend towards lower inflation.

      20

      • #
        David Maddison

        I assume that is an honest inflation number published by the TRUMP Administration unlike the figures published by the Albanese regime

        No one I know who actually does their own shopping believes the official Australian rate is real.

        50

  • #
  • #
    STJOHNOFGRAFTON

    Why have Brits stopped supporting climate policies?

    Because Brits have discovered that the more pressing problem for their survival is that they losing their identities because they are being replaced by third world ideologies as a result of reckless mass imigration policies.

    160

  • #
    Melbourne Resident

    and no one discusses any more whether CO2 causes Global Warming AKA Climate Change or whether it is totally natural variation and Global Warming causes the release of more CO2 into the atmosphere which was proven by the higher resolution Ice Cores. I have seen nothing recently about ongoing studies into gases trapped in ice cores. Is that because they give the wrong answer for the blob?

    71

    • #
      Gee Aye

      No. Three things.

      1. Did you do a literature search to check if you just didn’t hear about them (hint- there are many).

      2. ice core surveys are not easy and are therefore not frequent.

      3. Incremental and refining studies that confirm something already noted publicly, don’t make for a good news story.

      217

      • #
        John Connor II

        That’s the beauty of ice cores – pristine data.
        Each metre of ice covers around 20,000 years of climate information.
        Bear in mind that ice core drilling is a time consuming job, and can stretch to years per drilling.
        Drilling is done in stages of just 2-6m at a time so drilling through km of ice is slow…
        The current project, 1 million year analysis, requires 500 tonnes of equipment to travel over 1,000km from Casey to the drill site, with that single drilling operation expected to take 5 years to complete.

        I think those guys must be part penguin. 😁

        110

        • #
          Gee Aye

          Reply meant for MR?

          Yes, ice cores are a major undertaking.

          oops we are not meant to be discussing them.

          04

          • #
            melbourne resident

            yes mr GA – I did do a search and didnt find much other than highly complex papers that really may no relevant conclusions. I understand that they are a major undertaking but a more massive undertaking is the destruction of our coal and oil power industries etc – wouldnt you want more absolute proof that it is all necessary given the resultant destruction of our economy? So what would they confirm? the most detailed studies showed that temperature leads CO2 – I would have thought that the blob would want to disprove that – so were are the studies that do that?

            10

            • #
              Gee Aye

              In other words, you didn’t understand what you were looking aqt. By the way I don’t believe you.

              00

  • #
    Neville

    Wonderful news for our blog donkeys, Cuba has probably reached nutty zero and should be an example for everyone,SARC.
    But our true BELIEVERS in the NZ cult should quickly pack their gear and move there now and show their strong support for this delusional nonsense.

    https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2026-2-22-cuba-becomes-the-first-country-to-reach-net-zero-shouldnt-we-be-celebrating

    90

  • #
    John Connor II

    Given the state of the UK an energy and economic collapse would almost come as a relief.

    Maybe those degree-wielding PhD gimmigrants arriving in Zodiacs will solve it.

    /sarc

    40

  • #
    Dr Faustus

    “These anodyne surveys will always overestimate the enthusiasm for Net Zero, because they are not asking people how much they are willing to pay, or whether they would rather the government solved something else.“

    YouGov UK published a more nuanced survey, taken in November 2025, dealing with just these issues.

    https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/53366-how-far-does-the-public-support-net-zero

    The overall conclusions were:

    About 60% of Brits agree to some extent with Net Zero 2050 – 26% “strongly”, 34% “somewhat” (so, squishy);

    ‘Strong support’ is almost exclusively amongst Green, Labour, and LibDem voters;

    Only 20% think the policy will be even somewhat effective in achieving the goal of Net Zero;

    Amongst the 60% Net Zero supporters, the overwhelming majority (56:33) believe cost of living is more important.

    Most Net Zero supporters think that more government spending and imposition on business is the key rather than things that directly impact on their lifestyle – a wholly unsurprising finding given the supporting voting demographics.

    The overall takeaway is that Net Zero 2050 is built on sloppy politics. A second takeaway is that the Conservative vote is having buyers remorse for the hapless Theresa May legislating the 2050 target.

    70

    • #

      Thank you Dr Faustus.

      Re: “Most Net Zero supporters think that more government spending and imposition on business is the key”

      Do they think we can make business pay for something in a way that does not end up coming out of consumers pockets?

      We train our children so badly in schools …

      110

      • #
        Gerry, england

        In the UK we were told by Rachel Thieves – the low level administrative assistant that was made Chancellor – that from April our energy bills would drop by £150. This would be done by ending some green costs but mainly by moving these costs onto general taxation that is raised from the same people. In a blow to her claimed reduction, while our gas charge and gas standing charge will drop, as will the electicity charge, the electricity standing will increase to punch a hole in that £150 saving. The standing charge covers grid charges such as having to build connections to remote windmills, upgrades because of government-demanded increase in electricity use and the vastly increased cost of stopping the grid collapse due to unreliable generation.

        But of course, the UK Energy Price Cap is reviewed every quarter so in July, October and January there is every chance more of that £150 can be chipped away. We have a government with minority support in the country that promised to reduce our bills by £300 but we are a long way from getting anywhere near that as spending on Net Zero ramps up the costs. I think the poll is showing that people are seeing the increased costs from Net Zero coming through when they once seemed far in the future. Interesting to see that the percentage still clinging to 2050 is unchanged while the zealots have reduced and the opponents increased.

        40

  • #
    kentlfc

    Anyone else had trouble getting Jo’s page to load in the last week?

    80

    • #
      PeterPetrum

      Yes, from time to time. Persistence pays off. I have tried rebooting my iPad but in the end it loads. May be Jo’s security screen, designed to stop her site being bombed, as it was recently. We just need to take the good with the bad.

      30

    • #
      another ian

      See # 4.4.1 yesterday for what was going on

      10

  • #
    John Bridger

    I find it very strange that most people would admit that they don’t really trust the government (seems to be a rather constant theme regardless of nationality) but when those same people are told they should cough up money by their government leaders via increased taxes to stop climate change (though they are often perplexed when asked what climate they might like)they are often agreeable. Its just downright weird.

    30

  • #
    Kevin

    “Net Zero” which means every living organic will not exist. “Net Zero” implies zero CO² which means everything that uses CO² to produce oxygen will cease to exist, no plants, no food for animals, no animals including humans hence “Net Zero”..
    Only the most stupid human that ever existed could come up with such a term which in truth means no organic objects will exist.

    The disturbing thing is we allow them to use this ‘term’ at all without calling this out.

    20

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    Caption

    “The job of the mainstream media today is to make you think that the views of 1O% of the country are actually the views of 90% of the country”

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HB_qYFBbIAAA2bg?format=jpg&name=small

    10