The reverse Farage effect: How attempts to polarise the climate debate have 'not really borne fruit'

Stuart Stone
clock • 8 min read
Credit: iStock
Image:

Credit: iStock

Almost two thirds of Brits back net zero targets and the UK's clean energy push, despite attempts to stoke up opposition - is the 'climate backlash' in danger of being over-stated?

From President Trump's promises to "drill, baby, drill" and the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement to Nigel Farage's angry demands to axe net zero policies en route to a record electoral breakthrough,...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Politics

'The Paris Agreement is working': Host Türkiye calls for 'concrete results' from COP31 Climate Summit

'The Paris Agreement is working': Host Türkiye calls for 'concrete results' from COP31 Climate Summit

COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum urges countries to find 'common ground' at this year's UN Climate Summit and deliver on goal of building a 'more secure global economy'

Michael Holder
clock 15 April 2026 • 7 min read
Poll: Almost half of UK firms view climate scepticism as a financial and economic threat

Poll: Almost half of UK firms view climate scepticism as a financial and economic threat

Majority of UK business leaders have changed how they promote planet-positive actions in response to net zero backlash, BSI finds

Stuart Stone
clock 14 April 2026 • 4 min read
Global Briefing: India withdraws bid to host COP33

Global Briefing: India withdraws bid to host COP33

India's offer to host 2028 summit 'quietly withdrawn', while Microsoft inks CO2 deal with Indigenous-owned project, and South Korea targets 100GW of clean energy this decade, in this week's Global Briefing roundup

Stuart Stone
clock 10 April 2026 • 11 min read