Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published new polling revealing that over two thirds (69%) of all adults in the UK think the Government should reduce air pollution above its current levels, with over half of those aged under 40 believing the UK should have cleaner air than other European countries.
Bright Blue’s polling analysis, based on a survey by Opinium, shows:
- 71% of all UK adults are either somewhat or very concerned about air pollution for their own health, and the health of other people
- Concern about the health impacts of air pollution is greatest in London (80%), with joint lowest concern for air pollution in the North West and the East Midlands (66%).
- Nearly half of UK adults (47%) believe the Government is not doing enough to tackle air pollution, with a majority (54%) of under 40s believing the Government is not doing enough.
- Over two thirds (69%) of all adults in the UK think the Government should reduce air pollution above its current levels, including a majority of Conservative voters (66%). Over half of those aged under 40 believe the UK should have cleaner air than other European countries.
- 40% of adults in the UK would be more likely to vote for a party which promised to tackle air pollution, rising to 54% among under 40s
- When we asked respondents who they thought was most responsible for tackling air pollution, 57% of UK adults said it should be the national Government, significantly outranking individuals and heavy industry (both at 10%), and car companies (5%). Just 4% of people thought local authorities should be most responsible for tackling air pollution.
Commenting, Eamonn Ives, Researcher at Bright Blue, said:
“The Government’s plans for reducing air quality have been widely criticised and deemed inadequate by the High Court. The public clearly believe national government should play a bigger role – in fact the biggest role – in introducing measures to reduce air pollution. The Government should be helping to establish a larger network of low emission zones across England.”
