UK Election 2024 - A young person's view

The term Climate Crisis has become more recognisable in recent years, particularly since the youth activist, Greta Thunberg, began her series of strikes and protests in 2018. But what has made the UK more environmentally conscious?

Perhaps it's all those trendy, re-usable bottles that have hit the market like never before? Maybe it's the availability of straws fashioned from metal, silicone, or even pasta? Or was it the July of 2022, when temperatures in the UK peaked at a whopping 40.3°C?! 

Although rising temperatures were declared an impending concern in 1985, it has taken many years to accept that something isn't right, for governments to accept these facts, and for us all to acknowledge that we can do better.

A growing concern...

With an election imminent, how do the views of the elctorate differ now from the past, when considering environmental issues? 

 
The overall mood of the nation can be seen in a YouGov poll that has been run regularly since 2011. It reveals that whilst environmental issues are considered less important when compared to financial and social issues such as the economy and immigration, their importance is rising,

In particular, younger voters' concerns have risen but they aren’t hearing enough about the climate in the current election campaign, according to a new poll carried by Savanta for climate charity, Possible.  Indeed, it has been observed that the final head to head televised debate between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak did not feature a single question on climate or nature.

For their part, environmental organisations, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, have joined forces to assess the  party manifestos' green policies and it is probably not surprising  that the Green Party comes out on top. Of the bigger parties, the Liberal Democrats rank highest with strengths including a ban on sewage dumping by water companies and reducing the cost of using public transport.

Whatever the outcome on 4th July, it's clear that there is plenty of hard work ahead to address climate change and other environmental issues. The UK's youngest voters are the keenest to see that this challenge is prioritised.