Labour climate policy backed up by new polling on 2030 target

In a fresh boost for Labour ahead of the upcoming general election, new polling by YouGov has found that the British public is in favour of the party’s ambitious 2030 decarbonisation target.

Labour conference voted to aim for net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, whereas the Liberal Democrats are retaining their 2045 deadline and the Tories have a government target of 2050.

The polling results are being used by environmental action groups including Labour for a Green New Deal to show that the December 12th election is not a Brexit one but in fact the UK’s first “climate election”.

Aliya Yule, co-founder of Labour for a Green New Deal, said: “Today’s figures demonstrate the huge public appetite for rapid and radical government action on climate change. Only Labour’s green industrial revolution will meet popular demand to decarbonise the UK by 2030, while building a fairer economy.

“Meanwhile, neither Conservative nor Liberal Democrat voters support their parties’ delayed targets – neither has any credibility on climate change, not even with their own supporters.”

According to the research, conducted between October 29th and 30th, 56% of British adults back total decarbonisation by 2030 – and majority support for this aim is present across all age groups. It is also found among voters across all parties.

Strikingly, the poll even found that 47% of 2017 Tory voters back a net-zero emissions target before 2030, compared to just 16% who support the current government target of 2050.

Another poll by Opinium last week found that 54% of voters would be influenced by parties’ stances on climate change at the forthcoming general election, with 63% supporting plans for a Green New Deal promoted by Labour.

On the Lib Dems sticking to their 2045 target, Labour GND spokesperson Lauren Townsend commented: “The Lib Dems’ climate policies are dead in a ditch before they’ve even reached the airwaves.

“The party might be sticking to its 2045 decarbonisation target, but its voters don’t agree, with a whopping 73% of them wanting full decarbonisation by 2030 or before. Only Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution pledges to do just that.

“What’s more, its sums don’t even add up – clearly it’s not just in bar charts that the Liberal Democrats play fast and loose with the numbers. No one can trust the Lib Dems to take the strong action needed on climate change.”

Labour recently accelerated their own net-zero emissions target to 2030 at their conference in September, where activists endorsed a deadline for full decarbonisation 20 years earlier than the Conservatives.