Polling shows Labour defectors want action on climate, nature and the cost of living

New polling commissioned by Greenpeace suggests that voters, particularly Labour defectors, would like to see the Labour government adopt stronger policies on climate and nature, when tested against a number of policies from different areas. The nationwide polling experiment conducted by YouGov covered 2,057 people across the country. Respondents were asked to look at sets of random policies from a pool of 18 and choose which, if any, they would like to see the Labour Party put forward.

The poll was designed to test the importance of climate and environment policies when compared against a selection of other policies in a simulated, more realistic experiment. Opinions were canvassed on issues ranging from higher taxes on oil and gas company profits and investment in renewable power sources, to efforts to help to insulate homes and tougher regulations on harmful pesticides.

For voters defecting from Labour since 2024, amongst the most popular policies in this test were investing in renewable power and implementing higher taxes on oil and gas company profits. Two other policies tested, the re-nationalisation of water companies and a wealth tax, performed similarly. Voters were more keen on Labour adopting these policies than a basket of others including money for police & defence and freezing VAT on fuel (for the full list, see the table below). The experiment demonstrates how these policies maintained their popularity even up against other popular ideas.

Policies to protect nature – such as tougher regulations on nature-harming pesticides and cracking down on overfishing were also more popular with this group than with the public at large. Out of the policies tested, reducing the number of foreign worker visas was amongst the least popular proposals with Labour defectors.

Ami McCarthy, Head of Politics at Greenpeace UK, said:

“These poll results clearly show that not only do the British public care deeply about climate action, but they also see it as the solution to many of the challenges the country is facing. In a comparative poll, investing in renewable power and higher taxes on oil and gas company profits were among the top policy priorities for defecting Labour voters, which sends a clear sign to the Government to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels and towards a fairer future. Voters know that the route to lower bills is through more renewable energy and they want politicians to stand up to those who are making eye-watering profits from driving the climate crisis. 

“Every new global crisis that hikes our energy bills yet again is a reminder that the UK remains dangerously exposed to volatile oil and gas markets and overly dependent on fossil fuels. Labour must now choose to rebuild public trust by offering a future that is fairer, more secure and no longer tied to fossil fuels.” 

Key Findings

• “Investing in renewable power sources” and “higher taxes on oil and gas companies”  were amongst Labour defectors’ most chosen options when tested in a more realistic environment against other policies.
• Policies to protect nature – such as tougher regulations on nature-harming pesticides and cracking down on overfishing were more likely to be chosen by Labour defectors than the general population
  

Greenpeace / YouGov poll results

Values shown are the modelled probabilities that a respondent chose the proposal including the particular policy. Numbers shown as decimals rather than percentages to reflect the difference in polling methods, and they should not be treated as a population point estimate. 

Bold = Greenpeace policy. Source: YouGov / Greenpeace conjoint experiment, fieldwork 6–7 May 2026, sample 2,057 GB adults.

Greenpeace recommendations

The polling results revealed key areas where Labour could rebuild the trust of voters while addressing some of the country’s biggest challenges. In response to the highest ranking policy priorities in the poll specific to climate and nature, Greenpeace UK urges the Government to implement the following policies:

Taxing oil and gas company profits

As oil and gas companies continue to make billions in war profits, with Shell today announcing their staggering quarterly profits of $6.9 billion, it is more urgent than ever for the Government to strengthen fossil fuel taxation. This will support households, fund climate action and drive the transition to renewable energy that will insulate against future oil price shocks in the long term. As well as helping ordinary households through the energy crisis, taxes on oil and gas company profits should pay for climate loss and damage inflicted by extreme weather at home and abroad, and provide greater support towards a just transition for energy workers. On top of raising vital revenue, the Treasury should use taxes as a lever to further the government’s policy aims to deliver their Clean Power 2030 target and their legal obligations to Net Zero by 2050.

Investing in renewables

The war in Iran has brought chaos to the volatile global gas and oil market, leaving UK households and businesses once again exposed to price shocks and soaring bills. The government is on the right track with its Clean Power 2030 target, aiming to increase the UK’s energy security and independence.. Now the government must hold its nerve and stay the course. The strategy is working: new wind and solar capacity built since 2021 has saved Britain roughly £7 million per day in gas purchases since the start of the Iran crisis in March 2026. To go further, the government must ensure the financial benefits of the energy transition are felt directly by bill payers. The government should do more to support renewable community energy projects which provide benefits directly to the communities that host them, through cheap loans, targeted skills development, and fast and cheaper connections to the grid. 

Tougher regulations on nature-harming pesticides

The Government needs an ambitious plan to restore biodiversity and protect our land, rivers and wildlife. Reversing nature decline isn’t optional; it’s vital for our food security and our health. 70% of our countryside is farmland, often heavily treated with harmful chemicals. Greenpeace is calling for a 50% reduction in the use and toxicity of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers by 2030, rising to 80% by 2040. Farmers must be supported financially and rewarded for adopting nature-friendly practices that are better for our health and the environment. This includes payment for not using harmful insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.

Notes:

Contact: Greenpeace UK Press Office –press.uk@greenpeace.org  or 020 7865 8255

Methodology used by YouGov Plc polled 2,057 GB adults for Greenpeace on 6-7 May 2026 on the eve of voting in the Local Elections, Welsh & Scottish elections. In a conjoint survey experiment, respondents were shown two competing bundles of four policies — “Proposal A” and “Proposal B” — that the Labour Party could propose, drawn from a pool of 18. They were asked which set, if either, they would prefer Labour to adopt. The exercise was repeated three times per respondent. The figure reports the probability that a proposal was selected when its policies appeared. They are a measure of comparative appeal between competing platforms, not of headline support. 

Greenpeace experts have scrutinised each party’s manifesto and assessed their plans in key areas where urgent action is needed on climate and energy, homes and transport, justice and democracy. Read our blog 2026 elections in Scotland: Greenpeace’s analysis of what are the parties saying on climate and nature?