**Title:** Britain’s Green Advantage: Leading the Way in Climate Change Action
**Introduction**
In an era of division and uncertainty, Britain has emerged as a leader in the fight against climate change. Unlike its counterparts, the country has shown remarkable unity and support for pursuing net zero goals. This support extends beyond mere lip service, as it encompasses real policies that may impact the daily lives and wallets of citizens. From the implementation of London’s ultra-low-emissions zone to the planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, the British public has displayed a strong commitment to combating climate change.
**British Public Support for Green Policies**
One notable aspect of this support is that it transcends political boundaries. Surprisingly, even among British Conservatives, there is greater support for environmental policies than among the centre-left in France and Germany. Proposals such as taxing frequent flyers or tripling investments in renewable energies garner significant backing from the British public, regardless of party affiliation. Both Labor and Conservative voters rank among the greenest supporters of all major parties, reflecting the widespread commitment to tackling climate change.
**Political Reflection of Public Support**
The strong backing from the public has reverberated through politics. The UK government became the first in the G7 to legally commit to net zero ambitions, setting a precedent for other nations. Furthermore, there has been a rapid rollout of solar and wind energy projects, accompanied by the phasing out of coal. Despite the challenges of stagnant wage growth and flat productivity that plagued the country in the 2010s, the UK managed to install as much renewable capacity as any peer country in 2015 and decarbonize its economy at an impressive rate.
**Decline of the Green Boom**
However, the green boom has started to fade. The Conservative government’s decision to effectively ban new onshore wind farms and withdraw support for solar energy has hampered the progress. Stringent planning restrictions and a desire to reduce household energy bills resulted in a decline in wind farm applications and fewer solar energy installations. These decisions have had adverse effects, such as poorly insulated homes and increased reliance on gas, which translate into higher energy bills for consumers.
**Risks of Turning Green Policy into a Wedge Issue**
Now, as Chancellor Rishi Sunak contemplates potentially watering down net zero goals, there are concerns about the negative impact it may have on the Conservative Party’s support base. A significant portion of current Conservative supporters have stated that a dilution of net zero goals would discourage them from voting Tory in the upcoming election. The environment has become a critical issue for voters and may lead former Tory supporters to switch their allegiance to the Labour Party if they perceive the government as not doing enough for the climate. Consequently, the Conservative Party risks alienating millennials and exacerbating its already existing challenges with this demographic.
**The Need for Green Ambition**
Instead of treating green policy as a divisive issue, political parties and leaders should embrace the overwhelmingly positive public sentiment towards ambitious green growth. Though some may interpret a closely contested election result as a sign of waning support for net zero, it would be a mistake to do so. The British public, including Conservative voters, stands firmly behind the ambitious pursuit of a sustainable future. Parties and leaders should channel this support and avoid undermining it.
**Expanding the UK’s Energy Transition**
To advance the UK’s energy transition further, it is crucial to address existing challenges. For instance, the country lags behind major European nations in terms of heat pump installations and energy-efficient housing. The construction of a large offshore wind farm that could significantly boost electricity generation should not be put on hold. Investments in renewable and energy-efficient technologies are essential to ensure energy security, reduce household expenses, and drive economic growth.
**Conclusion**
In a time of global uncertainty, Britain has managed to unite and lead the way in fighting climate change. The country’s commitment to pursuing net zero goals, coupled with strong public support for green policies, has set it apart from its peers. However, challenges such as the decline in the green boom and potential dilution of net zero goals pose risks to the progress made. To overcome these obstacles, it is crucial for political parties and leaders to embrace and build upon the public’s unwavering support for a sustainable future. By doing so, the UK can continue to be at the forefront of the global fight against climate change.
*Summary: Britain has shown remarkable unity and support for pursuing net zero goals, with public backing for green policies transcending political boundaries. The government has made significant strides in decarbonizing the economy, but challenges such as a decline in the green boom and potential dilution of net zero goals need to be addressed. To maintain progress and leadership in climate action, political parties and leaders must embrace and build upon the strong support from the British public.*
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It’s not often these days that one thinks that Britain has advantages over other developed countries, and less often still that those advantages come from unity in a notoriously divided electorate, but for some time now, support for the pursuit of net zero has been wider and deeper in the UK than any peer country. And it’s not just weak support for vague concepts, but for real policies, including ones that would hit people in their wallets or impact their daily lives in some way.
The current implementation of London’s ultra-low-emissions zone has proved unpopular with many motorists in the city, but Britons strongly support a planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, which cannot be say for audiences from France, Germany or the United States. Even more surprising is the support for this policy higher among British Conservatives than even among the centre-left in France and Germany.
It’s a similar story with proposals to tax frequent flyers or to triple investments renewable energies. British public opinion in general is much more supportive than that of other wealthy Western nations, and both Labor and Conservative voters rank among the greenest supporters of all major parties.
This public support has been reflected in politics. The UK government was the first in the G7 to commit its net zero ambitions into law, and there have been rapid rollouts of solar and wind, along with the phasing out of coal.
Between stagnant wage growth and flat productivity, the 2010s are rightfully considered a lost decade for Britainyet in the midst of the gloom there was an underappreciated success: in 2015, the UK installed as much renewable capacity as any peer country and through 2017 decarbonised its economy at a faster rate than any peer country.
But the green boom has faded. First, the Conservative government effectively banned new onshore wind farms in 2015 when it drastically tightened planning restrictions in England. Between 2008 and 2014, at least 50 new wind farm applications were submitted each year, but by 2016, they had plummeted to single digits and not recovered. Similarly, after the withdrawal of government support for solar, new applications dropped from 488 in 2015 to just 10 two years later.
Although solar and wind enjoyed strong public support at the time, both fell victim to David Cameron’s desire to “get rid of all the green shit”. This attempt to bring down household energy bills has had the opposite effect, resulting in poorly insulated homes and over-reliance on gas addition £9.8bn in UK energy bills last year. Today Rishi Sunak is making the same mistakeonly that the stakes are higher and the outcome could be worse for everyone involved, starting with your own party.
30% of current Conservative supporters say if Sunak watered down net zero goals it would discourage them from voting Tory in next year’s election. The environment is simply a much bigger issue for voters in 2023 than it was in 2013, and former Tory voters are disproportionately more likely to say they will switch to Labor if they think the government isn’t doing enough for the climate. Being seen as apathetic about global warming it also risks exacerbating the party’s problem with millennials.
But more importantly, turning green policy into a wedge issue will put a brake on just when the UK’s energy transition needs the most boost. So was the construction of a huge offshore wind farm that could boost Britain’s electricity generation by three per cent pause. Britain had just 2.5 heat pump installations per 1,000 households last year, fewer than all major European countries and far below the target of 21 installations per 1,000 by 2028. Energy efficient installations financed by the government fell to an all-time low.
Solving these problems requires green ambition, but it will pay dividends for energy security, household budgets and economic growth, as well as for the planet. It would be wrong to interpret a close election result e a poorly designed policy while Britons cool to net zero. The British public, including Conservative voters, fully support the ambitious green growth. Confident parties and leaders would channel those feelings, not undermine them.
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