A majority of voters would support radical action to slash greenhouse gases to nearly zero by 2050 at a cost of tens of billions of pounds, a new poll has found.
The public has thrown its weight overwhelmingly behind calls by the government’s independent climate change advisers to make a legally binding commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century.
The exclusive survey by BMG Research found 59 per cent of voters would support such action, with only 8 per cent opposing it and 34 per cent who had no view.
Why such overwhelming support? Firstly, its obvious to anyone who watches the news and the daily litany of things flooding, burning, melting, or otherwise being affected by rising temepratures and resulting changes in the weather that the climate crisis is here and we need to do something about it. And secondly, groups like Extinction Rebellion and the school strike movement have done an excellent job of activating people and telling them what they need to demand from their politicians. And as a result, the ground has shifted completely.
Will the same thing happen in New Zealand? Farmers and the political parties who pander to them may be about to find out...