Brits still buying EVs, heat pumps and solar panels despite drop in polling support and political attacks, Sky News analysis finds
Uptake of electric vehicles, solar panels and heat pumps and commitment to vegetarian diets remain strong – and in some cases is accelerating – even in the face of political attacks on climate policies, Sky News has found.
And fresh polling by YouGov, carried out exclusively for Sky News, also found that belief in and concern about man-made global warming remain as high as in their heyday in 2021, when the UK hosted the COP26 climate summit.
However, policies that come with cost or disruption appear to be shedding popularity in the polls, reflecting a split in Westminster about whether to sell net zero as the answer to or the reason for cash-strapped Britain’s woes.
Worried that both the public and right-leaning parties were falling out of love with net zero, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer dithered over whether to join leaders for climate talks in Brazil this year.
But he will today meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and around 60 other leaders in the Amazonian city of Belem, ahead of the UN COP30 summit that begins on Monday.
The YouGov poll found 65% of adults remain “very” or “fairly worried” about climate change and its effects.
And 71% still think humans are to blame.
In an interview ahead of COP30, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, who previously said man-made climate change was “garbage”, admitted humans have “possibly” played a “modest” role.
Policies that don’t require people to put their hands in their pockets also remain popular, like tree-planting and taxing polluting companies.
However, people are losing their appetite for measures that come with a cost or disruption, like banning new petrol or diesel cars and a shift to renewable energy – as the cost of living bites.
Anthony Wiley, head of political research at YouGov, said several factors are likely at play.
“There will be something of a reversion to the norm after the publicity around COP26, there will also be the impact of the cost of living and the fading of elite political cues with the rise of Reform and the fading Tory commitment to net zero.”
But Sky News has analysed the data of what people are doing and finds uptake remains strong, and in some cases is even accelerating.
Hannah Ritchie, data scientist at Oxford University and Our World in Data, said it was “easy to say that you care about climate change, [but] one of the key markers is whether people are actually willing to go out and take action”.
A record 164,000 new battery and hybrid cars hit the road between January and March this year – the highest ever increase recorded for a single quarter.
The number of newly installed solar panels and heat pumps were also near previous peaks for both the first two quarters this year – albeit government subsidies for heat pumps are incentivising the uptake.
The same proportion of people eating vegetarian diets has remained effectively the same over the past five years.
Dr Ritchie said there has been a “huge shift in the feasibility, the accessibility, and the affordability of these low carbon switches that people will have to make”.
That means some people are buying clean technology for climate reasons, but others because it could save them money or they just prefer the technology.
This trend is also playing out in the United States, where Republican states have deployed far more wind power, whether due to geography, air pollution or economics, despite being more climate-sceptic than Democrat voters.
Environmental psychologist Lorraine Whitmarsh, from Bath University, said: “You don’t have to be worried about climate change to see… particularly in the context of energy prices going up, that actually becoming more energy self-sufficient is a really sensible economically rational thing to do.”
However, the majority of Britons still have petrol or diesel cars, gas boilers, and no solar panels – and national advisers warn many will need help with upfront costs so they can cash in on potential long-term savings.
Consensus on net zero collapses
The contradictions between polling support and action in the real world both reflect and fuel divisions between political parties over the UK’s net zero target, which is driving many of these policies.
It was not long ago that environmentalists thought cross-party support for net zero would last forever.
But that consensus went up in flames this year when the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch announced she would scrap it altogether – hot on the heels of Reform UK, which has always been sceptical of climate policy.
Its voters are the least concerned about climate change, the exclusive YouGov polling found.
Mr Wiley said: “People often assume that voters choose their political parties based on their policies, but it’s as much the other way round – people like policies because they’ve been put forward by a party they support.”
Reform takes on ‘climate zealots’
Mr Tice told Sky News he is waging war on “climate zealots” – those who “keep telling us that the world’s going to end in a few years unless we get to net zero tomorrow”.
“All these people who… try and shove renewables down our throats with ever higher bills, and they don’t give a stuff about the thousands of jobs in British industry that are being slaughtered on the altar of net stupid zero,” he said in an interview before COP30.
Wind power has saved Britain £104bn over a 13-year period, a recent UCL study found. But tens of thousands of oil and gas workers are expected to lose their jobs in the next five years, and it is uncertain whether green jobs will be ready to take their place.
Pedalling another type of populism is the new Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
Instead of blaming net zero and renewables for why nobody has any money these days, he blames the “richest 1%”, and says climate action is the answer to our problems.
He told Sky News that Britain has the potential to create “millions of jobs that are about tackling the climate crisis”.
“We can clean up our air, we can bring communities together… move to a better world, that both tackles the climate crisis and the inequality crisis,” he said.
“These aren’t two things in opposition, they have the same solutions.”
Both messages are resonating somewhere.
Green Party membership doubled to 140,000 in just seven weeks after Polanski took over – perhaps nudging the prime minister to attend COP30 after all.
But Reform UK is riding highest in the polls, on course to win the next general election, according to another recent major YouGov survey.
And while its voters remain most concerned about immigration, there are signs that environment policy is becoming a more salient issue, researchers at thinktank More in Common have found.
Dr Ritchie is “sceptical” that the political attacks would filter down much into public opinion.
“I think at the margins you will see some [people] shifting based on the kind of overarching political narrative between politicians,” she said.
But “increasingly there are other reasons beyond climate for people to make that switch and uptake low carbon behaviours”.
Even Mr Tice has bought solar panels and drives an electric car.
He told Sky News: “I love technology. I drive a Tesla, not because I think it will save the world – it won’t. But it’s a great piece of kit, okay?”
One man has been arrested, and further suspects are being traced, after 21 people needed medical attention following a “pepper spray” incident at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Officers were called at 8.11am on Sunday to a multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 following reports of multiple people being assaulted, said the Metropolitan Police.
A statement from the force said: “Armed officers responded to the incident and arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault, within nine minutes of the report coming in.
“He remains in custody and enquiries remain ongoing to locate further suspects.”
What we know so far:
• Police say a group of four men “robbed a woman of her suitcase” in a car park lift
• They sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction
• People in the lift and the surrounding area were impacted
• Those directly involved are “known to each other”
• A total of 21 people were treated at the scene, including a three-year-old
• Passengers faced delays and difficulties accessing the airport
• Most of the disruption has now cleared
Fire engines responding to the incident at Heathrow Airport. Pic: @_umarjaved
Met Police Commander Peter Stevens said on Sunday afternoon that the force believes “a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction”.
“This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray,” he continued.
“Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.”
London Ambulance Service attended the scene and treated 21 people, including a three-year-old girl. Five people were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.
There was some disruption to traffic in the area and Terminal 3 remains open.
Eyewitness describes ‘absolutely terrifying’ ordeal
Witness Tom Bate told Sky’s Matt Barbet that he saw three “young men, dressed in black with their heads covered” suddenly bolt from the elevator area.
That’s when “people started coughing”, he said. “Suddenly… everyone in the room was coughing, including me, and there was a burning in my throat.
“It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Significant incident’ at Heathrow Airport
Mr Bate was in the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3, having just landed from Dallas, Texas.
As he was leaving the car park, he saw “10-20 armed police officers” run in.
“The [police] did, in fact, point their gun at someone and order him to the ground and detain him,” he said. “And they got me out of the vehicle to ID the person.”
Mr Bate described the incident as “pretty intense” and “absolutely terrifying”.
‘Significant incident’
The London Ambulance Service said a “significant incident” was declared and there was a “full deployment” of resources. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said it was also called to the incident.
Heathrow advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any queries.
Some passengers said they were forced to wait three hours for a shuttle bus to the long-stay car park after their flight. The service usually runs every 15 minutes.
Bottles of water were handed out by staff to people waiting for buses from Terminal 3.
There was disruption to train and Tube services, with some delays on the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line, but all lines are now operating normally.
A queue to exit the Elizabeth Line at Heathrow after the incident. Pic: PA
Traffic also piled up at the M4 junction for the airport but this has since cleared.
People on social media said vehicles were being searched at the airport.
A user on X said there was a “major backlog of cars unable to leave the vicinity or enter the drop-off zone” at Terminal 3.
In footage on X, several armed police were seen in a car park.
Lando Norris won his maiden Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship on Sunday after coming third in the deciding showdown in Abu Dhabi.
The accolade wraps up a clean sweep for his McLaren team, after they claimed the Constructors’ Championship in Singapore in October.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the final race of the season from pole position, but Norris coming in third meant the Dutchman was unable to overcome Norris’s season points total of 423 – with Verstappen just two points short.
Norris’s title victory also ends Verstappen’s four-year reign at the top of Formula 1. The Dutchman was hoping to retain his crown and win a record-equalling fifth-straight Drivers’ Championship, which would have seen him draw level with F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates winning the Formula One world championship after finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Pic: PA
Norris’s teammate and title rival, Oscar Piastri, finished in second place in the race but third in the overall standings finishing on 410 points.
The 26-year-old Norris is the 11th British driver to win the championship and first since Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
“Thank you guys, oh my God. You have made my dreams come true, thank you so much. I love you guys. Thanks for everything, you deserve it. I love you mum, I love you dad. Thanks for everything. I’m not crying!” he said on the team radio as he crossed the line.
His victory marks a remarkable comeback to secure the title, after falling 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, when he suffered a late mechanical problem in his car while running second to his Australian teammate.
Lando Norris reacts after becoming a world champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix. Pic: AP
But in the nine grand prix that followed, this was only the second time he was beaten by Piastri in a race.
That sequence saw him secure dominant wins in Mexico and Brazil, putting him in pole position for the maiden title.
“I’ve not cried in a while! I didn’t think I would cry but I did!” Norris to Sky Sports in his post-race interview.
“It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents – my mum, my dad – they are the ones who have supported me since the beginning.
McLaren driver Lando Norris during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Pic: AP
“It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit! I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both.
“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year. We did it and I’m so proud for everyone.”
After conducting celebratory ‘donuts’ on the start-finish straight after completing his slow-down lap, Norris was embraced by his parents, Cisca and Adam, after getting out of the car along with his girlfriend, Margarida Corceiro.
Norris received congratulations from across the globe after his win, including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
In a post on X, Sir Keir said: “Congratulations @LandoNorris, Britain’s new @F1 champion! An unbelievable season and so well deserved.”
Lottie (right) and her friends watch along at Silverstone
Norris’s fans celebrate in Silverstone
It was clear who fans at this watch party wanted to see win, and they got their wish.
There were cheers, tears and hugs of celebration as Lando Norris became the first Brit to win the World Championship in five years.
“Great race, great result,” says Jamie, who attended the watch party with his girlfriend Lottie. “We cheered every time he came on screen.”
Lottie has seen Norris race at Silverstone before, but today was even more special.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” says Lottie. “It was such an amazing experience.”
She admits, though, that for much of the afternoon she “felt sick,” nervous about how the race would pan out.
Norris only needed to be in the top three to win, but was amongst stiff competition with Max Verstappen and team mate Oscar Piastri hot on his heels.
There were groans in the crowd each time Norris slipped behind, and raucous cheers each time he closed the gap.
But it was the reaction from the Jenner family that caught my attention, crying and embracing each other when it became clear Norris had brought it home.
“The fact he has managed to get here is just everything. It’s amazing,” said Mrs Jenner.
“Pure joy that he had done it, we all love F1 as a family, it just means everything.”
But not everyone was happy. Abhi was among the few who came to support another driver.
“Go Max every time,” he says, admitting that he is “a bit gutted” by the results. “It stings a bit, but that’s the nature of the race.”
When asked what it was like to be one of the only people not there to witness Norris take the win, he says, “I felt a bit intimidated to be honest, and a bit stressed as well, but I held my own.”
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah says he has been “thrown under the bus” by the club, and his relationship with manager Arne Slot has broken down.
The 33-year-old player also suggested that next Saturday’s match against Brighton could be his last for the Reds, who are the reigning Premier League champions.
Speaking after Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds, the Egypt forward told journalists he was in disbelief he had been left on the bench for the third game running.
Salah takes a selfie with fans in April. Pic: Reuters
“I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season,” said Salah, who signed a new deal at Anfield at the end of last season. “Now I’m sitting on the bench, and I don’t know why.
“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.
“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far, I am on the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise.
“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.”
He joined the club in June 2017, and has been one of the Premier League’s best players.
Asked if his relationship with Slot had broken down, he said: “Yeah, there’s no relationship between us. It was a very good relationship and now all of a sudden there is no relationship.”
Salah will play at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Egypt on 15 December and has been linked with a January move to the Saudi Pro League.
On Tuesday, Liverpool face Inter Milan away in the Champions League.
Speaking about the Brighton match at Anfield next Saturday, he admitted: “I said to [my family], come to the Brighton game. I don’t know if I am going to play or not, but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now.
“I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”
Asked if it could be his final game for Liverpool, Salah said: “In football you never know. I don’t accept this situation. I have done so much for this club.”
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024