What British people really think about renewables

Over the past year, we’ve had the pleasure of speaking to lots of people across Britain about what they really think of climate change and climate policy. We have found widespread support for the transition to renewable energy, with people more supportive than not of the government committing to spending billions of pounds on expanding renewable energy.

Our most recent research with More in Common, a 2080-person nationally representative poll across England, Scotland and Wales, found that nearly two thirds (65%) say they support shifting energy production in the UK from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Only 8% oppose this shift.

When presented with various sources of renewable energy, we saw soaring support for those more commonly discussed and talked about:

• 77% of Brits want to see an expansion in solar panels
• 69% in solar farms
• 70% in offshore wind farms
• 65% in onshore wind farms
• 68% in hydropower

When it comes to less commonly discussed sources of lower carbon energy, like nuclear power plants and hydrogen plants, support for their expansion waivers slightly (42% and 46% respectively). These two sources of lower carbon energy also achieve the highest percentages of those who ‘neither support nor oppose’ their expansion (23% and 27% respectively). 

Worries about cost are front of mind

Although people recognise that the transition to renewables could save them money in the long run – as shown by Ember’s analysis last year – our research shows that support for renewables comes with some worries about the immediate costs of household energy measures like solar panels and heat pumps. People are more likely to feel concerned about the costs to individuals, including those seen as vulnerable, than costs to society as a whole. That’s understandable in a cost of living crisis. 

In focus groups, we heard people describe solar panels as desirable but too expensive to personally foot the cost. Our survey results from earlier this year show higher energy bills and higher taxes are the top two worries Brits have when thinking about the impacts of the transition away from fossil fuels.

Talk about phasing out, not banning

What this tells us is that support for climate leadership is strong but not unshakable, and framing climate action and leadership as drastic can reduce this strong support. For example, talking about immediately banning  all North Sea oil and gas drilling in a hasty manner isn’t as welcome as phasing out  North sea oil and gas drilling as planned and well-managed.

When it comes to the shift away from coal-fired power towards renewable energy, support is widespread – even in the face of this more permanent change for the UK. This shift completes a gradual process across a number of years, starting from 2013, as coal-fired power stations across the UK were phased out  by changing to a new fuel source and/or closed. 

Most people welcome the end of coal-powered electricity

In our polling, responses to the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September 2024 were largely positive. More than twice as many people thought the closure was a good thing (45%) than those who thought it was a bad thing (19%). 66% of Brits wanted to see investment in retraining and supporting people working in the coal, oil and gas sectors, and only 4% opposed this investment.

On presenting participants with a stark choice of mindsets to choose from when thinking to the future, we saw that the power station closure made people feel more optimistic (34%), or no different for the future (30%), than those who felt pessimistic (20%). These numbers show us that 11% fewer people felt optimistic about the closure than felt the closure was a good thing. Whilst supporting the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar in general, this one event is not enough to encourage an overwhelming level of optimism for the future. 

Trust in support for clean energy and be bold

Following the closure of the final coal-fired power station in the UK, we can see that support for shifting to clean energy is continuing to grow. Communicators should keep talking about and highlighting this. Leaders should take this opportunity to be bold in rolling out clean energy and keep building on this support. 

Ensure people feel that the transition is well-managed

Rather than talking about transition as hasty and immediate, people need to feel that change is planned and well managed. We see support for the permanent shift away from coal, which was part of a gradual change over a number of years. Leaders and communicators can use this historic moment for the UK as a positive climate story, one that shows transition as reasonable and hopeful.

Capitalise on support for retraining

Hearing from people across Britain, we know they don’t want to feel left alone to foot the costs of the transition as isolated individuals. We also know that people want to see investment and support for retraining workers in fossil fuel industries. Leaders must support people and workers to be part of the coming change, to ensure they don’t feel alone in this.

Inform, involve, inspire

Engaging people on the transition is critical. This is especially the case for areas that feel less clear or less known, for example lower carbon energy sources that are less commonly talked about, or how people feel about what the transition means for the future. Leaders need to ensure they reach the whole country with clear information about what changes are to come, and show more prominent examples of all the different forms of action being taken and progress being made collectively, rather than focusing on single historic events as if they’re happening in silos.

We need to better understand how single big events affect people’s wider perceptions of what the energy transition means for the future. Leaders and communicators need to be talking about what these changes will mean for people, and how transition can be a good thing for their lives and for the future. 

Please get in touch if you are interested in discussing this research or partnering with us on future projects.