Climate Change
Net zero, emissions, and climate targets
Based on 11 parliamentary votes
Related Environment Issues
How Parties Voted on Climate Change
Government alignment shows how often each party voted with the government's stated position. Issue-aligned direction shows agreement with the AI-identified supportive stance.
Voted with government positionVoted in issue-aligned direction
Recent Votes
| Vote | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
Vote on whether to extend the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to cover maritime shipping activities, requiring ships to purchase carbon allowances for their emissions. The opposition raised concerns about the cost impact on ferry services to UK islands, though Scottish islands were exempted. Yes = Support extending carbon pricing to the maritime sector as part of the UK's net zero agenda, accepting that higher costs for shipping and ferries are a necessary part of decarbonising transport · No = Oppose extending the ETS to maritime activities, citing concerns about increased costs for ferry travel to UK islands and questioning the impact on island communities Govt: Aye | 362-107 | 11 Feb 2026 |
Vote on a statutory instrument that amends the UK Emissions Trading Scheme from 2027, reducing the supply of free carbon allowances given to businesses — effectively increasing the carbon price they face. The opposition argued this would raise energy bills for households and businesses, while the government backed it as part of meeting climate targets. Yes = Support reducing free carbon allowances in the UK ETS, accepting higher carbon costs as necessary to meet climate commitments · No = Oppose the reduction in free carbon allowances, arguing it raises the carbon tax on businesses and will increase household energy bills Govt: Aye | 392-116 | 4 Feb 2026 |
MPs voted on regulations extending ecodesign and energy labelling rules to Northern Ireland, requiring energy-related products to meet minimum efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labels. The main controversy was whether these rules were being unfairly imposed on Northern Ireland without the same consultation process used for the rest of the UK. Yes = Support applying energy efficiency and product labelling regulations to Northern Ireland to reduce environmental impact and help consumers make informed choices · No = Oppose imposing these regulations on Northern Ireland without equivalent consultation, arguing it creates an unfair and discriminatory regulatory process compared to the rest of the UK Govt: Aye | 348-14 | 2 Apr 2025 |
Vote on a statutory instrument to expand the nationally significant infrastructure planning regime to include onshore wind and solar energy projects, meaning larger wind and solar farms would be approved through a streamlined national planning process rather than local councils. This matters because it would speed up the deployment of renewable energy to meet climate targets. Yes = Support making it easier to approve large onshore wind and solar projects through national planning rules, accelerating renewable energy development · No = Oppose removing local planning oversight for onshore wind and solar projects, citing concerns about community control and landscape impact Govt: Aye | 309-102 | 2 Apr 2025 |
The Commons voted to reject a Lords amendment to the Great British Energy Bill that would have required the new public energy company to take steps to ensure its supply chains are free from forced labour (particularly regarding solar panels linked to Uyghur forced labour in China). The government argued existing procurement rules and the Modern Slavery Act are sufficient; opponents wanted stronger explicit obligations written into the Bill. Yes = Support the government rejecting the Lords forced labour supply chain amendment, trusting existing procurement rules and the Modern Slavery Act to address the issue without adding new statutory duties to Great British Energy · No = Support the Lords amendment requiring Great British Energy to actively ensure its supply chains are free from forced labour, particularly given concerns about Chinese solar panel manufacturing relying on Uyghur slave labour Govt: Aye | 313-200 | 25 Mar 2025 |
MPs voted on whether to approve regulations requiring gas boiler manufacturers to sell a minimum proportion of heat pumps each year, with fines for exceeding gas boiler sales quotas. The government argued this is essential for cutting emissions and reducing energy bills; opponents claimed the fines would be passed on to consumers, making heating more expensive. Yes = Support the Clean Heat Market Mechanism, backing mandatory heat pump sales targets on boiler manufacturers as a way to accelerate the transition to low-carbon heating and reduce energy costs long-term · No = Oppose the regulations, arguing that fines on gas boiler manufacturers will be passed on to consumers, raising heating costs and representing government overreach into the market Govt: Aye | 423-109 | 15 Jan 2025 |
MPs voted to approve technical changes to the UK's electricity capacity market regulations, removing an outdated EU requirement for 10-year approval reviews that no longer applies now the UK has left the EU. The changes are designed to ensure long-term security of electricity supply. Yes = Support updating electricity capacity market rules to reflect post-Brexit regulatory independence, removing the redundant EU 10-year approval requirement · No = Oppose or abstain from approving these technical regulatory changes to the electricity capacity market Govt: Aye | 417-78 | 15 Jan 2025 |
Vote on Amendment 6 to the Great British Energy Bill, which would have required GB Energy to include transparent cost commitments in its plans — specifically, the annual costs to households and the economy of the energy transition. Supporters argued this was about honesty and accountability; opponents (the government) said it was unnecessary and potentially misleading. Yes = Support requiring GB Energy to publish clear, year-by-year cost estimates for the energy transition so that MPs and the public can scrutinise what decarbonisation will actually cost households · No = Oppose the amendment, arguing it could be used to undermine the clean energy transition and that cost transparency requirements of this kind are not appropriate in the Bill Govt: No | 125-361 | 29 Oct 2024 |
MPs voted on whether to pass the Great British Energy Bill into law at its final stage in the Commons. This bill establishes a new publicly-owned clean energy company aimed at accelerating the UK's transition to renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Yes = Support creating a state-owned clean energy company to drive investment in renewable energy and help achieve net zero targets · No = Oppose the creation of a publicly-owned energy company, likely citing concerns about state intervention, cost to the taxpayer, or the effectiveness of the approach Govt: Aye | 363-112 | 29 Oct 2024 |
Vote on Amendment 8 to the Great British Energy Bill, which was debated alongside a proposed new clause requiring Great British Energy to contribute to nature recovery targets and incorporate nature-based solutions into its assets and investment decisions. The amendment was defeated, meaning these nature recovery duties will not be added to the Bill. Yes = Support adding a legal duty on Great British Energy to contribute to nature recovery targets under the Environment Act 2021 and embed nature-based solutions in its projects and investments · No = Oppose adding a statutory nature recovery duty to Great British Energy, preferring to keep the Bill focused on its core energy mission without additional environmental obligations Govt: No | 116-362 | 29 Oct 2024 |
How is this calculated?
Government alignment (primary bar) shows how often a party's MPs voted with the government's stated position on this issue. This is the most comparable metric across parties, as it measures the same reference point for everyone.
Issue-aligned direction (secondary bar) shows how often MPs voted in the direction tagged as supportive of this issue by AI analysis. For example, if a vote is tagged “pro-environment”, a Yes vote counts as aligned. This can be misleading when the tagged direction happens to align with opposition amendments rather than government bills.
Why these metrics may differ: Opposition parties often vote against government bills for strategic or procedural reasons, even when they broadly support the policy area. The government alignment metric makes this clearer by showing the actual voting pattern against a consistent reference.
Source: Commons division data from the UK Parliament Votes API. Alignment direction determined by AI analysis of vote stance tags. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.