New YouGov poll, commissioned by RenewableUK, shows ‘overwhelming’ public support for Government prioritising investment in renewable energy over all the other measures outlined by the Prime Minister in his Ten Point Plan.
When Boris Johnson announced his plan in November, he set out ten key areas to focus on, including advancing offshore wind, driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen, delivering new nuclear power and green public transport.
YouGov asked a weighted sample of 1,700 people to rank these into their top five areas in which the Government should be investing.
Five times as many people supported the prioritisation of renewable energy as their top choice than any other green industry.
According to the survey, support was particularly strong among people over the age of 65: with 75% choosing renewable energy as one of their top three priorities for Government investment.
The polling also revealed that support for prioritising renewable energy is even greater among people who live within five miles of a windfarm (49%) than those who do not (46%).
According to the survey, support for building onshore wind farms remains ‘overwhelming high’ at 70% – which levels of support exactly the same among people who live within five miles of a windfarm as those living elsewhere.
33% of the respondents said they have a more positive opinion of onshore wind then they did five years ago. This was stronger amongst Conservative voters, 36% of which feel more positive, as well as people over 65 (37%), 18 to 24 year olds (36%) and those who live within five miles of a windfarm (40%).
RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn commented on the findings: “It’s great to see overwhelming public support for the Government prioritising investment in renewable energy.
“This will in turn attract billions in private investment as well as creating thousands of high quality green jobs.
“You can see the popularity of renewables reflected in attitudes to onshore wind. The popularity of this technology is sky-high, with a third of the country saying they like onshore wind more than they did five years ago.
“We’re urging Ministers to recognise this wave of public support for renewables by maximising investment in the UK’s ‘shovel ready’ clean energy projects in the next round of CfD auctions and setting ambitious long-term targets for onshore wind, floating wind, renewable hydrogen and marine energy.”
Total sample size of the survey was 1,700 adults, with the survey carried out online. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th-12th May 2021.
According to RenewableUK, the figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
