Following a significant defeat for the Conservatives, the ascent of a new Labour government, and a notable increase in votes for Green and Lib Dem candidates, it is evident that climate and environmental issues played a pivotal role in the UK general election.
The Green Party experienced a remarkable surge, securing four seats—Brighton Pavilion, Bristol Central, Waveney Valley, and Herefordshire North—each with strong majorities of 5,500 votes or more. Nationally, the Green Party vote share climbed to approximately 7% from 2.7% in 2019, translating to an increase from 866,000 votes in 2019 to around 2 million in 2024.
In the Blue Wall regions, where environmental concerns are more pronounced, 36 out of 51 seats transitioned from Conservative to Lib Dem and Labour, reflecting widespread public dissatisfaction with the Conservatives’ poor track record on climate and nature. Additionally, 18 of the 23 Conservative net zero sceptics were unseated.
In closely contested constituencies, 12 out of 19 three-way marginal seats between the Lib Dems, Labour, and Conservatives were won by the Lib Dems. This indicates that voters are inclined to support a more ambitious green agenda than what was proposed by the two major parties.
In the 251 constituencies lost by the Conservatives, nearly half of the voters believe the party’s decision to weaken climate commitments in September 2023, including postponing the deadlines for banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and for phasing out gas boilers, was a mistake and only about a third supported the Conservative Party’s approach, according to a poll commissioned by Greenpeace UK, and conducted by Survation.
In the South-East, where the Conservatives lost 51 seats, one in four voters cited the party’s climate policies as a key reason for their vote. The importance of climate and environmental issues was echoed by 55% of respondents overall. In the Blue Wall, historically Conservative areas in southern England, environmental issues like the sewage crisis were significant voter concerns. The Conservatives lost 37 out of 52 seats here, with 24 going to the Lib Dems, who campaigned on stronger climate and nature policies.
The sewage crisis, a central issue for the Lib Dems, resonated strongly with voters. Over two-thirds (70%) in the South of England support setting legal targets to eliminate sewage spills. In 2023, sewage discharges into England’s rivers and seas by water companies more than doubled. The Environment Agency reported 3.6 million hours of spills, a significant increase from 1.75 million hours in 2022.
Water UK, the sewerage industry body, acknowledged the situation as “unacceptable” but attributed the record levels to heavy rainfall and enhanced data collection. Nevertheless, the Environment Agency emphasized that increased rainfall does not absolve water companies of their legal obligations to manage storm overflows.
Environmental charities have criticized water companies for failing to repair leaky pipes and other damaged infrastructure, and they fault the regulator for not compelling these companies to take action.
In the Blue Wall seats lost by the Conservatives, half of the voters (49%) disapproved of the weakened climate commitments, with higher disapproval rates in key constituencies like Guildford and Ely (57% for both).
Among Labour voters, 74% expect the new government to focus on nature protection, pollution reduction, and decreased plastic production. Additionally, 66% anticipate increased investment in climate and nature policies. Despite scaling back green spending commitments pre-election, green campaigners accused Labour’s manifesto of lacking comprehensive plans for nature protection and addressing the plastic crisis.
Labour’s GB Energy initiative, aimed at generating more renewable energy and reducing energy bills by 2030, received widespread support. This includes 79% of Labour voters and over half (53%) of Conservative voters. Moreover, 62% of voters favour raising wealth and property taxes on the super-rich, a policy Labour is considering expanding.
The Green Party and Liberal Democrats, both of which gained significant ground in the election, also proposed similar tax reforms. GB Energy initiative will set up a publicly owned energy company to own, manage and operate clean energy projects across the country. The company would have access to £8.3bn over the course of the parliament, which would be partly funded by tougher taxes for North Sea oil and gas companies.
About £3.3bn has already been earmarked for Labour’s local power plan, which aims to provide funding to local authorities and communities to build small-scale clean power projects. Another £5bn would go towards investing in projects and supply chains that may be less attractive to private investors – these could be new technologies such as floating offshore windfarms or solar panels for social housing developments.
The sums are small compared with the cost of major offshore wind projects and nuclear power plants. But the Labour party believes that careful investments could reap major benefits. Although GB Energy’s first steps into the industry are likely to be investments alongside established private sector companies, it has ambitions to finance and run its own projects in time. This may eventually include developing in-house expertise to deliver major energy projects, including nuclear reactors.
In reaction to the Labour party’s election victory, Greenpeace UK’s Co-Executive Director, Areeba Hamid, said, “This landslide victory has buried Sunak’s divisive anti-green agenda once and for all and is a powerful call for change. Voters have resoundingly rejected his climate rollbacks and elected a party with a proper plan to turbocharge cheap, clean, renewable energy – promising to slash emissions, lower bills and deliver hundreds of thousands of new green jobs.
“However, the Green surge and success of the Lib Dems, who stood on much bolder climate and nature pledges, shows that there is a genuine appetite from voters for much stronger green policies from the government. Keir Starmer must take note.
“Our new Prime Minister must show real leadership on climate and nature – both at home and abroad – demonstrating that the green transition can be done in a fair and equitable way. He must seize the opportunities for economic revival and energy independence that delivering a greener, cleaner Britain presents.
“But to do that he must take on the elites, increase taxes on the super-rich and polluting companies, and invest, invest, invest. Invest in cheap, clean power and create new, secure green jobs for workers. Invest in warm homes, trains and buses to lower our energy bills and transport costs for good. Invest in greener farming and restoring nature so our rivers become free from sewage once more and wildlife can flourish. This is the change people voted for – it’s time for Starmer to deliver.”
