UK voters want to see a “cross-party consensus on renewables” as political parties kick into campaigning mode ahead of a summer general election, according to trade group RenewableUK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed yesterday a nationwide vote will be held on 4 July.
He will face off against Keir Starmer’s (pictured) opposition Labour Party, which has made achieving net zero and the roll-out of renewable energy central to its policy agenda.
RUK’s director of strategic communication Nathan Bennett said: “I expect there will be a lot of focus over the campaign period on how political parties plan to lower energy bills, increase energy security and drive future economic growth.
“Renewables help to tackle each of those key issues – providing low-cost power, drawing billions of pounds of new investment into the UK, and lowering the exposure of UK billpayers to volatile international gas prices.
“It is clear that the vast majority of voters want a cross-party consensus on renewables, and an industrial strategy to boost industrial investment and green jobs.
“In our new manifesto, we have set out a series of key steps to achieve this, including a call to modernise Contracts for Difference auctions to procure consistently high volumes of renewables every year.
“We need to make the UK the most attractive business environment to secure the maximum amount of private investment in clean energy in the face of intense international competition.”
Friends of the Earth is calling on all the parties to commit to urgently ramping up their green ambition to meet crucial climate commitments and ensure everyone benefits from the transition to a zero-carbon economy.
Friends of the Earth’s general election coordinator, Jamie Peters, said: “Instead of seizing the huge opportunities that developing a green economy will bring, the government has continued to champion fossil fuels, failed to properly invest in clean energy and insulation, allowed our rivers to be swamped by sewage and attempted to turn climate change into yet another culture war issue.
“Despite everything going on in the world, voters across the political spectrum want strong green policies and action to tackle the climate and nature crisis.
“Every party should commit to developing the green economy and putting the health of the planet at the heart of their manifestos.”