With elections round the corner, we wanted to bring you a run-down of where the parties stand on climate. Local elections in England, plus elections to the devolved parliaments in Wales and Scotland, take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
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How to VoteClimate in May’s elections
Local elections: Based on the parties’ policies and records in office, we recommend voting Green where they are standing and have a chance of winning. Liberal Democrat is the next-best option. We do not recommend a vote for Labour.
Devolved elections:
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Wales: We recommend voting Green under the new proportional system.
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Scotland: For your constituency, we recommend voting for the Scottish Greens where they are standing, and Lib Dem as the next-best option. For your region, which uses a proportional system, you can always vote for the Scottish Greens.
Get a personal recommendation: We use polling data to predict the best vote for climate – then share our recommendation for you to use when deciding how to vote. Sign up now.
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Use these links to jump to a political party:
Please note: Our ‘at a glance’ summaries are not comprehensive lists of policy pledges. However, we’ve included all policy developments since the 2024 general election. For a full list of 2024 manifesto pledges, please see our individual party manifesto analyses, linked under each party.
🔴 Labour
At the last general election, Labour's manifesto commitments ranked third by emissions reductions, after the Greens and the Lib Dems. Read our assessment of Labour’s 2024 manifesto.
As the governing party, we can now assess Labour's record in office so far. We reviewed the Labour government’s first year in office back in July 2025. One year in, we found that they had made progress on 15 of their 25 environmental pledges, had made no progress on six and had backtracked on four. There have been some developments since then.
Labour's climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- Net zero by 2050 (UK statutory target)
Energy
- Clean power by 2030: 95% renewable electricity by doubling onshore wind, tripling solar and quadrupling offshore wind
- Great British Energy founded to invest in renewable projects across the UK, with £8.3 billion in funding
- No new North Sea oil and gas licences to be issued, although existing licences will be honoured, and an announcement at the 2025 Autumn Budget allowed new drilling at existing oilfields
- Extend lifetimes of existing nuclear plants, complete Hinkley Point C, build Sizewell C and construct small modular reactors
Homes & buildings
- Warm Homes Plan provides £15 billion to help 5 million install heat pumps, solar panels and insulation by 2030, with £5 million earmarked for low-income households. We explored this in detail in our March 2026 newsletter
- Private rented properties required to meet EPC C or higher by 2030
Transport
- Partially restored the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car and van sales, while watering down their manifesto pledge to allow hybrids to be sold until 2035
Finance & governance
- UK-regulated financial institutions, banks, pension funds and FTSE 100 companies to develop climate transition plans aligned with 1.5°C – the government consulted on this in 2025 and is yet to announce further plans
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to start January 2027, protecting UK industries and jobs by preventing dumping of lower-standard imports (this continues a policy of the previous Conservative government)
Record in national government
- Labour has ditched or scaled back a number of their policies in office, watering down the 2030 ban on petrol/diesel car sales, fudging commitments on new oil and gas and backing airport expansion, including a third runway at Heathrow, in spite of the environmental cost
- Labour's Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been widely characterised as an attack on nature, with critics saying it rides roughshod over biodiversity protections
Record in local government
- Wakefield Council is replacing its fleet with electric vehicles and over 44,000 streetlamps with LEDs, cutting energy consumption by 80%. It aims to be carbon neutral as a council by 2030 and achieve district-wide carbon neutrality by 2038
- Transport for Greater Manchester, under the region's Labour leadership, is often cited as a model for reducing transport emissions through an integrated public transport system, a bike hire scheme and an EV charging network
- Leeds City Council has retrofitted schools, leisure centres, civic buildings and 4,500 residential buildings to improve energy efficiency
- In the Climate Emergency UK Council Climate Action Scorecards, Labour-led councils come top, including the Greater London Authority and Islington borough council
VoteClimate assessment: Labour's policies are woefully inadequate in delivering the emissions reductions needed to keep the UK within its share of the global carbon budget needed to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. On paper, however, their manifesto pledges were relatively strong compared with other parties. But since entering office, Labour has weakened and reversed course on some of its commitments. This election is a chance to hold Labour's feet to the fire to honour and exceed its manifesto commitments on climate. We DO NOT recommend voting Labour in 2026 in Wales or Scotland, or in English local elections where Greens or Lib Dems are standing.
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🔵 Conservatives
We rated the Conservatives worst of the three main parties for climate action in 2024 general, with no positive green policies to speak of, with the exception of a single retrofitting policy which they had already introduced while in government. Read our assessment of the Conservatives’ 2024 manifesto.
Under Kemi Badenoch's leadership, the Conservatives have shifted dramatically away from their previous support for climate action. They have pledged to ditch the statutory net zero requirement they themselves introduced to Parliament in 2019 under Theresa May's leadership, as well as to repeal the groundbreaking Climate Change Act.
Conservative climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- No formal net zero target — the party has abandoned its own 2050 commitment and pledged to repeal the Climate Change Act 2008
Energy
- Maximise North Sea oil and gas extraction
- Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has advocated removing carbon taxes from energy bills and scrapping wind farm subsidies
- 2024 manifesto pledged to treble offshore wind capacity, build two carbon capture and storage clusters, and approve two fleets of Small Modular Reactors – the party's current position on these is unclear
Homes & buildings
- 2024 manifesto pledged to invest £6 billion in energy efficiency improvements for homes and fund a voucher scheme for energy efficiency and solar panels – again, the party's current position isn’t clear
Transport
- The Conservative Sunak administration pushed the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars back to 2035, and the current leadership has no plans to reverse this
Finance & governance
- 2024 manifesto pledged to implement a carbon-pricing mechanism to prevent iron, steel, aluminium, ceramics and cement production being displaced to countries not acting on climate change – the party's current position is unclear but this pledge doesn’t accord with their overall stance on climate
- The Conservative Party has accepted over £7 million in donations from funders of the Global Warming Policy Foundation and Net Zero Watch, both of which campaign against action on climate
Record in national government
- Legislated to make net zero by 2050 a legal requirement under Theresa May (2019), and under Boris Johnson introduced relatively ambitious goals, including on heat-pump rollout
- Deep cuts to local government budgets left councils less equipped to take action on climate
- Dialled down pro-climate message after 2022, under Rishi Sunak’s leadership, and reversed policies such as the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars
Record in local government
- Conservative-led councils were less likely to declare climate emergencies or go beyond national government targets. In London, the four boroughs (out of 32) that refused to declare a climate emergency — Barnet, Bexley, Bromley and Havering — were all Conservative-led
VoteClimate assessment: Despite performing relatively well on climate for a few years between 2019–22, the Tories have backtracked into a Reform-like climate-sceptic stance, ditching net zero and pledging to ramp up oil and gas production. We DO NOT recommend voting Conservative in 2026.
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🟡 Liberal Democrats
We ranked the Lib Dems second in terms of climate pledges in the 2024 general election. Read our assessment of their 2024 manifesto. Their policies were not great, taking us through our share of the global carbon budget needed to keep temperature rises to 1.5C by 2034 (the same as Labour).
In September 2025, Lib Dem members voted through a new set of climate policies at the party's conference, improving their policy programme. These included closer working with the EU to tackle climate change, a National Climate Assembly to involve citizens in decision-making and a zero carbon standard for all new buildings.
Lib Dem climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- Net zero by 2045 — five years ahead of the UK statutory target and Labour
Energy
- Power the electricity grid from 95% renewable sources by 2030 (upgraded at 2025 conference to match the Labour government target)
- Remove unnecessary restrictions on new solar and wind generation
- New UK-EU Energy and Climate Security Pact to link emissions trading schemes and boost international cooperation
Homes & buildings
- Home Upgrade Programme: free insulation and heat pumps for low-income households
- Zero carbon standard for all new homes
- Reintroduce requirements on landlords to achieve EPC C by 2028 (two years earlier than the Labour government 2030 cut off)
- Expand incentives for rooftop solar for households, including a fair export price
Transport
- Restore the requirement for all new cars and small vans sold from 2030 to have zero emissions
- Reintroduce the plug-in car grant
Nature & land
- Ensure the agriculture, land use and forestry sector becomes a net carbon sink by 2050
- Halt the decline in nature by 2030 and double nature by 2050
- Support CO2 removal, prioritising nature-based solutions such as expanding woodland and restoring peatlands
Finance & governance
- Cabinet-level Chief Secretary for Sustainability supported by a Climate, Nature and Resilience Roadmap
- National Climate Assembly to give citizens a say in climate policy-making
- Return international development spending to 0.7% of national income, with climate change a key priority
- Scrap existing carbon taxes, including the emissions trading scheme
Record in local government
VoteClimate assessment: The Lib Dems were ahead of Labour in our assessment of the parties' 2024 local manifestos, with their policy programme producing more emissions reductions over time (although Labour's policies produced greater reductions up to 2030). Since the election, the Lib Dems have improved their climate offer with their 2025 package of policies. We recommend a vote for the Lib Dems, where Greens are unlikely to win in local elections in 2026.
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You may not be unsurprised to learn that Reform UK did abysmally in our assessment of the parties' 2024 commitments on climate. Party leader Nigel Farage presents himself as a climate denier, claiming that climate change is mainly driven by natural factors, and the party would scrap net zero and any policies designed to reduce emissions. Read our assessment of Reform UK’s 2024 manifesto.
Given they started from a very low bar, very little has changed since the 2024 elections, except perhaps the rhetoric of Reform politicians. Reform is supported by climate-sceptic think tanks and funded by wealthy donors with interests in the fossil fuel industry. Unfortunately, they are polling very well, likely due to other factors as there is no widespread climate scepticism among the voting public.
Reform UK's climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- Scrap ALL net zero targets
Energy
- Scrap ALL renewable energy subsidies and block ALL new wind and solar projects
- Accelerate North Sea oil and gas extraction
- Not ruled out scrapping the fracking ban or opening new coal-fired power stations
Homes & buildings
- No commitments on home energy efficiency or low-carbon heating
Transport
- Scrap the ban on new petrol and diesel car and van sales
- No legal requirement for manufacturers to produce zero-emissions vehicles
- Legislation to ban ULEZ Clean Air Zones and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
- Scrap the remainder of HS2
Record in local government
VoteClimate assessment: Reform's policies would trash the planet. By doing away with net zero, ending support for renewables and ramping up oil and gas production, their programme would see emissions skyrocket. We strongly advise against voting Reform in any seat.
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🟢 Green Party (England and Wales)
Unsurprisingly, we ranked the Green Party top on climate in the 2024 general election. Their policies are far and away the best when it comes to tackling climate change – although the Greens' 2024 policies still took the UK through its share of the global carbon budget around 2038. Read our assessment of the Greens’ 2024 manifesto.
Since the election, the Greens have elected a new leader, Zack Polanski, and adopted a more eco-populist approach to campaigning — connecting the climate emergency to other bread-and-butter issues such as cost of living. Polling and the recent Gorton and Denton by-election suggest this is popular with voters. However, their climate agenda has not dramatically changed.
Green Party climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- Net zero by 2040 — ten years ahead of the UK statutory target and the Labour government’s deadline
Energy
- Zero-carbon energy supply: £50 billion towards electricity generation and storage
- 70% of UK electricity from wind by 2030
- No new oil and gas licences and an end to all fossil fuel subsidies
- No new nuclear power stations (which makes emissions reductions harder, regardless of your broader position on nuclear)
- Carbon tax on all fossil fuels, proportional to emissions and rising over time
Homes & buildings
- £29 billion over five years to insulate homes to EPC B or higher (£12 billion for social housing; £17 billion for privately-owned homes)
- All new homes built to Passivhaus standard, with solar panels and low-carbon heating required on new builds
- £4 billion to insulate public buildings
Transport
- £30 billion for electrified railways, £7 billion in public transport infrastructure and £6 billion for active travel
- All new car sales electric by 2027, with no petrol or diesel cars on the road by 2030
- £4 billion to reduce the climate impact of road transport
Nature & land
- 30% of UK land and seas given protected area status by 2030
- Rights of Nature Act granting legal personhood to nature
Finance & governance
- £40 billion per year average in green investment over a parliament
- £11 billion to reduce emissions from industry, with £2 billion in grants for businesses to decarbonise
- Bank of England mandate updated to make the 1.5°C climate limit a central objective
- Require manufacturers to produce only the most energy-efficient white goods
- Increase climate finance for the Global South to 1.5% of GNI by 2033
Record in local government
- Bristol City Council was the first authority in Europe to declare a climate emergency, after a motion proposed by then-Green councillor Carla Denyer in 2018. The motion was copied by more than 400 local authorities within a year
- Bristol — Labour-run but with a significant Green presence — has brought 28,000 council homes up to EPC C or above, provides free solar panels and insulation to low-income households, and has cut the council's own emissions by 88% since 2016 (although this misses its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025)
- Stroud District Council, led by the Greens, achieved carbon-neutral council operations as far back as 2015. It has since embedded renewable energy allocation into its local plan, one of the very few English councils to have done so for onshore wind
- On Gloucestershire County Council, opposition Green councillors secured an additional £420,000 for community climate action, natural flood management, community composting and car clubs through budget amendments in 2025
VoteClimate assessment: The Green Party are streets ahead of the other parties on climate — although even the Greens' policies do not go far enough. In our comparison of parties' 2024 manifesto pledges, the Greens exceeded the UK's portion of the global carbon budget five years after the other parties. Their policies have not evolved dramatically since 2024 — the main shift has been in their rhetoric. However, they are still the best vote for climate by a long shot, and we recommend a vote for the Greens wherever they stand a chance of winning.
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Devolved parliaments
The following sections cover parties operating through the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales. Climate policies are largely down to devolved administrations, although UK-wide policies have an effect on emissions.
🏴 Scotland: SNP
The SNP has been the governing party in Scotland, either as a majority government or in coalition, since 2007. So we can look at their record in office as well as their policy positions.
To find out how this election works please see Understanding the Scottish Voting System.
SNP climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- Net zero by 2045, with revised interim milestone of 57% average emissions reduction across 2026–2030 (down from the original 75% by 2030 target, which was abandoned)
- The Climate Change Committee has said the SNP’s draft net zero plan contains ‘risks’, in particular the lack of a plan to replace gas boilers with heat pumps
Energy
- 50% of Scotland's total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, underpinned by the ScotWind offshore wind leasing programme
Homes & buildings
- Decarbonise the heating of 1 million homes by 2030
- The Heat in Buildings Bill, which would have mandated phasing out gas boilers, has been delayed until after the 2026 Holyrood election
Transport
- Phase out new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030
- Decarbonise scheduled flights within Scotland by 2040, with the ambition to create the world's first zero-emission aviation region in the Highlands and Islands – it is unclear that the technology exists or will have been developed to deliver this policy
Nature & land
- 18,000 hectares of new woodland creation per year
- £250 million to restore 250,000 hectares of peatland by 2030
Oil & gas
- No longer opposes all new fossil fuel licences: new licensing assessed on a case-by-case basis via a climate compatibility test
- £500 million just transition fund for workers and communities in the North East of Scotland
VoteClimate assessment: Although the SNP has made some positive commitments on climate, it is reversing course on many of these, including the 2030 milestone on Scotland's journey to net zero, which signals a slowing of progress. The weakening of the SNP position on new oil and gas is also concerning. The Climate Change Commission’s criticism of the SNP government's draft net zero strategy shows that its policies are not in line with its rhetoric.
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🏴 Scotland: Scottish Greens
The Scottish Greens have a track record in government, having ruled in coalition with the SNP between 2021 and 2024. The alliance ended when SNP first minister Humza Yousaf dropped the 2030 target to reduce emissions by 75%, which the Greens had secured as part of their coalition agreement. The Scottish Greens’ successes also included a £65 million Nature Restoration Fund and free bus travel for under 22s, which they propose to expand in government.
To find out how this election works please see Understanding the Scottish Voting System.
Scottish Greens climate policies at a glance
Net zero
- In coalition with the SNP, the Scottish Greens secured the 2030 deadline to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 – the coalition ended when the SNP-led government ditched this goal
- They support the current 2045 net zero target as a floor not a ceiling
Energy
- Achieve 100% renewable energy – although they do not state a deadline for this
- £600 million of investment in renewables – onshore and offshore wind, solar and tidal
- Oppose new offshore oil, gas and coal exploration and lobby for recently issued licences to be revoked by the UK government
- Oppose the expansion of Scotland’s remaining nuclear power station at Torness (which would hinder emissions-reductions plans)
Homes & buildings
- Phase out gas boiler installation by 2035 and look into an end date for their use altogether
- Support Passivhaus or an equivalent carbon neutral standard for all new homes
- Expand support for district-wide heating networks
Transport
- £22 billion of funding for a 20-year investment programme to decarbonise the rail network
- End new road-building projects which add road capacity and redirect funds to public transport, cycling and walking, alongside an increase in funding for active travel to £320 million on ‘day one’
- Permanent free bus travel for everyone, building on the policy of free bus travel for under 22s, introduced in 2022 under the SNP-Green coalition
- Reinstate the 2030 end date for new petrol and diesel car sales
- Introduce a frequent flyer levy
Nature & land
- £200 million for nature restoration, trebling the budget of the existing Nature Restoration Fund
- Recognise ‘ecocide’ as an international crime
VoteClimate assessment: The Scottish Greens have some ambitious climate pledges and pushed the SNP into more radical green policies during the short-lived coalition government of 2021-24. They put their money where their mouth is by ending the coalition when the SNP backtracked on the emissions targets which formed part of the coalition agreement.
🏴 Wales: Plaid Cymru
In 2026, the Welsh voting system is moving from a mix of proportional representation and first past the post to a fully proportional system. Find out more about the new system in our explainer.
Plaid Cymru climate policies at a glance
Net zero target
- Net zero by 2040 — previously pledged 2035, revised back to 2040 ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections
Energy
- Oppose all new oil, gas and coal licences
- Establish Ynni Cymru (Green Energy Wales), a national publicly-owned energy company to give Wales control over its energy resources and drive the renewable transition
- Expand community-owned renewable energy generation across Wales
- Support continuation of existing nuclear plants but oppose new nuclear sites in Wales
- Welsh Green New Deal: a programme to reskill the Welsh workforce and create apprenticeships in the emerging green and net-zero sector
Homes & buildings
- Long-term retrofit programme to reduce energy bills and cut emissions from homes and buildings, backed by a trained green workforce
Transport
- Heavy investment in public transport to reduce car dependency
- Increase air passenger duty and introduce a kerosene tax for private jets
Nature & land
- Halt biodiversity decline by 2030, in line with the global Kunming-Montreal 30x30 agreement
- Reform planning rules so all new developments must have regard to both climate and nature
VoteClimate assessment: While Plaid Cymru talks a good game on climate — with a reasonably ambitious net zero deadline and a strong position on oil and gas — the party has announced very few concrete policies to achieve its goals. It seems noteworthy that Plaid has backtracked on its 2035 net zero target when faced with the prospect of entering government as the party polls well ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections.
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