A wind farm in the hills to the south of Glasgow, Scotland.

Apathy and opposition: Understanding the real threats to net zero

Article

Climate action is under siege from populist and far-right actors. Delivering under that pressure demands fresh confidence and commitment from government. 

Watering down ambition offers no electoral advantage; a strong, progressive agenda on climate action remains broadly popular with the public.

Elite opinion on net zero is highly polarised, with a precipitous drop in support on the political right since the general election in 2024. This is not mirrored in public opinion, where support has remained steady and is much higher than politicians credit. The notion of a wide-spread public backlash against net zero in the UK is a largely exaggerated one, amplified by right-leaning media.

Related items

  1. A view from above a wind turbine with two engineers standing on top of it

    Partner to scale: How international collaboration can enable the green transition

    Scaling clean industrial technologies requires a shift from fragmented national strategies to targeted, durable international cooperation.

  2. Sam Alvis on BBC News discussing the heatwave

  3. Pranesh Narayanan speaking to a Parliamentary Select Committee on critical minerals