7 out of 9 Reform led councils have scrapped climate targets, study finds

Seven Reform UK-led councils have ‘scrapped’ their climate targets since being elected in May 2025, according to new research published today (20 March 2026) by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.  Reform councils have also removed content about climate change from strategy documents, and three have successfully moved to rescind Climate Emergency Declarations. 

The authors, Edward de Quay and Pallavi Sethi, found that climate change denial has also been expressed by Reform UK councillors in five councils (Kent, Durham, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire). In September 2025 Kent Council noted “the unproven view of anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change” in a motion to rescind the county’s Climate Emergency Declaration, citing several widely discredited sources.

The authors conclude: “The promotion of climate change denial by both its national leadership and many of its local councillors indicates that Reform UK is failing to recognise the growing risks the British public face from climate change impacts, including rising sea levels, heavier rainfall and more intense heatwaves. It also demonstrates that the party does not accept the need for evidence-based policymaking.”

They state that “it is often unclear what Reform UK councils count as ‘net zero spend’ and how they account for savings supposedly achieved by removing climate-related targets.” The authors were unable to obtain detailed estimates of projected savings associated with motions related to climate ambition rollback, and in some cases headline figures have been disputed. 

Although Nigel Farage and Richard Tice have made scrapping net zero a key part of the Reform UK national campaign strategy, the authors of the report point out that there is variation in how “scrapping net zero” is being implemented by Reform councils, “reflecting an apparent divergence of views within the party”. Kent has committed to keeping emissions reporting as a key performance indicator, while Lancashire County Council resolved to ask its Cabinet to cease voluntary carbon reporting.

Although national opinion polls reflect a changing electoral landscape following the Green Party’s win in the Gorton and Denton Parliamentary by-election on 26 February 2026, Reform UK has maintained its overall poll lead over the other parties. With Reform likely to take control of more councils in May 2026, with approximately 5,000 seats in 136 local councils up for election, the authors state that the national government is likely to “face greater challenges in ensuring that local authorities contribute to the delivery of legislative and policy climate goals.” 

The authors recommend the “Government consider incentives to promote climate progress, rather than assuming voluntary action, and making standardised emissions reporting mandatory, to track progress of programmes that reduce emissions.”

Edward de Quay, Policy Analyst at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said:  

“In our study we found that ‘scrapping net zero’ is not only a policy position but a signal of a broader retreat from treating climate change as urgent. This takes the form of both delaying action and outright climate change denial. Voters should be aware that this is the case.

“In the upcoming local elections in May, should Reform UK expand its council base, we can expect further retreat from climate action. The Government must be alert to this challenge, given the importance of local authorities to the delivery of national climate goals. 

Pallavi Sethi, Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said: 

“It is concerning that some Reform UK councillors are using climate misinformation, including climate denial, in motions and debates to support policy decisions. This undermines evidence-based governance and is especially dangerous when household energy bills are set to rise due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  
 
“Local authorities have a fundamental responsibility to their constituents which cannot be fulfilled when policy ignores scientific evidence. Reform UK must engage with established climate science and acknowledge the risks that climate change poses to people across Britain.”