Revealed: political and media narratives driving false “backlash” against net zero, says IPPR - IPPR

• Politicians across the spectrum are out of step with public opinion on net zero
• Media coverage of net zero is more than two and a half times as negative as public sentiment, creating elite feedback loop
• IPPR urges confident climate messaging, highlighting extreme weather impacts, and reducing polarisation

Progressive politicians risk making a serious electoral miscalculation if they dilute climate ambition in response to populist right attacks, according to new analysis from The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Persuasion UK.

The research reveals that claims of a voter backlash against net zero are overstated, with political division among elites and distorted media narratives – not public opinion – posing the biggest risk to climate progress.

The British public remains consistently supportive of the UK’s 2050 net zero target – around 60 per cent of people support the goal.

Crucially, climate policy is not driving voter defections. Only 4 per cent of Labour-to-Reform switchers cite climate or net zero as a reason for changing their vote.

However, the analysis identifies a significant gap between public opinion and politicians’ perceptions. MPs are underestimating support for net zero, with Conservative MPs understating public backing by around 18 percentage points.

Researchers attribute this misperception to a rapidly polarising political environment, in which rhetoric on climate has become decidedly more negative since 2022 despite little change in voter attitudes.