Public support for Net Zero wanes as climate scepticism rises, poll shows

Less than a third of British voters back a proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, and climate scepticism in the UK has risen by more than 50% in four years, new polling reported on Wednesday suggests.

Analysis by YouGov for The Times found that fewer people are willing to accept the personal costs associated with the government's Net Zero agenda. The proportion of respondents prepared to pay higher domestic energy bills has halved since 2021, and smaller shares now say they would pay higher taxes, cut back on meat and dairy consumption, or reduce air travel to address climate change. The poll also found that while the share saying the threat from climate change has been exaggerated rose sharply, about 61% of respondents still believe the threat is not overblown.

The shift in public sentiment comes amid economic pressures including a prolonged cost-of-living squeeze and a tougher jobs market. Political debate over energy and environmental policy has intensified as officials weigh growth priorities and electoral considerations. Professor Wouter Poortinga, an environmental psychologist at Cardiff University, told The Times that the issue is becoming more polarised in Britain. "Climate change is being politicised [in the UK] in the same way that has been done in the United States," he said.

The row over Net Zero has intersected with internal government manoeuvring. The Daily Mail reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to remove responsibility for Net Zero from Energy Secretary Ed Miliband during a recent reshuffle and offered him the housing brief, a move Mr. Miliband reportedly declined because he wanted to retain oversight of climate policy. The government has committed to banning the sale of new fully petrol or diesel cars and vans from 2030, and in April announced that sales of new non-plug-in hybrid cars would be permitted to continue until 2035.

Under the government’s zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, manufacturers are required to ensure a specified share of new cars sold in the UK are zero-emission. This year the mandate set a floor of at least 28% for each manufacturer, which generally refers to purely electric vehicles. Across all manufacturers, the proportion of new cars that were zero-emission in the first half of the year was 21.6%. Officials have also introduced changes to the Zev framework that, according to ministers, will make it easier for manufacturers that fail to meet targets to avoid fines.

Separately, officials from the Met Office and the Environment Agency warned this week that drought conditions could persist into winter in some parts of the UK even though forecasts show a higher likelihood of wetter and windier weather than the 30-year average for September through November. They cautioned that autumn and winter rain may not be sufficient to reverse the effects of a record-breaking dry and hot summer that prompted several regions to declare drought status and impose temporary water-use restrictions.

The agencies also flagged an increased flood risk as the UK enters its storm season, noting a possible scenario in which some areas face both drought and heightened flood risk in the months ahead.

The YouGov findings underscore a gap between public willingness to shoulder direct costs and the government's climate ambitions, at a time when economic conditions and political calculations are shaping policy choices. How rising scepticism and shifting public priorities will affect the pace and framing of Net Zero measures remains a central question for ministers and industry alike as they implement vehicle rules and plan for volatile weather patterns.