Purpose of this project

‘Climate Election 2024’ is designed to promote the UK’s cross-party consensus on the need to tackle the serious threat of climate change and guide voters to make informed decisions in the general election.

Parliament has decided by large majorities that the UK should be legally bound to reduce its harmful emissions to reduce them to net zero by 2050, which the scientific evidence says is the only way to stop global temperatures rising disastrously.

Britain has a proud record. The Climate Change Act (2008) contained the first legally binding climate change mitigation target set by any country. In 2019 the UK became the first major economy in the world to pass net zero legislation designed to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. In 2022 the UK again led in its presidency of COP26 in Glasgow when it committed to tough targets, bringing most of the world with it.

Through this election Britain’s leadership on climate must be reinforced and Parliament’s pledges delivered. Voters need to know where each individual candidate stands so they can make an informed decision with their vote and then hold elected officials to their promises.

The Climate Change Committee – the independent adviser to Parliament – has made it clear that the UK is not on track to meet its legal obligations. Candidates from all parties need to pledge to put that right.  

‘Climate Election 2024’ covers candidates in England and Wales representing the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru. These are the parties that have been in government since the Climate Change Act of 2008 and have committed to net zero by 2050.