Environment
Environmental protection and climate policy
Based on 18 parliamentary votes
Sub-issues
How Parties Voted on Environment
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 |
|---|---|---|
Parliament voted on an opposition-proposed motion about oil and gas policy. Opposition Day motions are brought by parties not in government, and this vote signals a political divide over the future of North Sea oil and gas extraction under the Labour government. Yes = Support the opposition's position on oil and gas, likely backing continued or expanded North Sea production and opposing Labour's restrictions on new licences · No = Reject the opposition motion, backing the Labour government's approach of limiting new oil and gas licences as part of its clean energy transition Govt: No | 110-298 | 24 Mar 2026 |
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 |
Vote on whether to allow a single combined report to satisfy two separate reporting requirements under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill, which implements the international BBNJ agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters. This was an Opposition amendment to streamline reporting obligations on those operating under the Bill. Yes = Support allowing a single report to fulfil dual reporting requirements under the Bill, reducing administrative burden · No = Oppose merging the two reporting requirements into a single report, preferring to keep them separate as drafted Govt: No | 144-319 | 17 Nov 2025 |
Vote on a proposed amendment to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill that would allow the government to charge fees within the framework of the international marine biodiversity agreement. The Bill itself aims to implement the BBNJ treaty, which protects marine biodiversity in international waters beyond any single nation's control. Yes = Support adding a fee-charging provision to the BBNJ implementation bill, allowing the government to recover costs associated with administering the marine biodiversity framework · No = Oppose the fee-charging amendment, either preferring the bill without this addition or disagreeing with how the provision is framed — while broadly supporting the BBNJ treaty itself Govt: No | 149-319 | 17 Nov 2025 |
Vote on an amendment to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill that would require regular reviews of the cost impact on passengers, including assessing how SAF mandates affect ticket prices and peoples' ability to travel for holidays or business. Yes = Support requiring the government to regularly review and report on how sustainable aviation fuel mandates affect passenger costs and the affordability of flying · No = Oppose the mandatory cost-impact review requirement, trusting the existing framework to balance green aviation targets without additional reporting obligations on passenger affordability Govt: No | 160-321 | 15 Oct 2025 |
Vote on New Clause 5 to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, which related to scrutinising the supply of materials (including bioethanol) for sustainable aviation fuel production and assessing the impact of plant closures. The government opposed it, arguing existing provisions in the SAF mandate already address these concerns. Yes = Support requiring the government to publish a review of SAF feedstock supply, including assessing the impact of bioethanol plant closures, to ensure the UK can meet its sustainable aviation fuel targets · No = Oppose the additional review requirement, arguing it duplicates existing measures in the SAF mandate and that the global bioethanol market means UK plant closures would not significantly affect SAF production Govt: No | 80-315 | 15 Oct 2025 |
Vote on whether to require an assessment of the cost impact of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) requirements on airline passengers, specifically obliging the designated counterparty to review and report on how SAF mandates affect ticket prices and travel costs for ordinary people. Yes = Support requiring a formal review of how sustainable aviation fuel costs are passed on to passengers, ensuring affordability and cost of living impacts are considered · No = Oppose the amendment, arguing existing SAF mandate provisions already address these concerns and a separate cost review is unnecessary or duplicative Govt: No | 152-317 | 15 Oct 2025 |
MPs voted on whether to approve new regulations extending subsidies (Contracts for Difference) to Drax power station, which burns biomass. Supporters say it is needed to maintain energy security and support renewable targets; opponents argue it continues costly and controversial support for a fuel source they consider environmentally dubious. Yes = Support extending Contracts for Difference subsidies to Drax and biomass energy as part of the UK's low-carbon energy strategy · No = Oppose continuing subsidies for Drax/biomass, arguing it is poor value for money and environmentally questionable Govt: Aye | 349-176 | 11 Jun 2025 |
A Liberal Democrat opposition day motion on sewage pollution in waterways was put to a vote. This type of motion allows opposition parties to force a debate and vote on issues they want to highlight, in this case the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage being discharged into rivers and seas by water companies. Yes = Support stronger action on water companies dumping sewage into rivers and seas, backing the Lib Dem motion calling for tougher regulation or accountability measures · No = Reject the Lib Dem motion on sewage, likely arguing existing government plans are sufficient or opposing the specific measures proposed in the motion Govt: No | 79-304 | 23 Apr 2025 |
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.