We have a @centrefortowns report for European Climate Foundation out today on public opinion on the environment in towns and cities in the UK. We're not as divided as you might think. Some key insights... https://www.centrefortowns.org/reports/public-opinion-on-the-environment

Despite a growing electoral divide between towns and cities, there are many areas of broad consensus on environmental issues and even signs the divide may be shrinking.

Before COVID hit, the environment was at its highest level of salience to the British public since 1990.

Analysis of data from the British Election Study over the past five years suggests there has been a significant rise in public support for environmental protection. And the gap between citizens who live in core cities and towns has nearly halved.

Concern about the environment has risen similarly for voters in what became known as ‘Red Wall' seats in the run-up to the 2019 general election.

This suggests substantial consensus on the issue. It is not just a concern of (on average) more socially liberal city-dwellers. The evidence of a place-based values divide on the environment is slight.

In the summer, we conducted a survey with @YouGov to investigate further. We asked questions about which environmental issues mattered to people most and which measures they support to tackle climate change...

Protecting the environment and tackling climate change is important across rural areas, towns and cities. There are only slight variations by place.

There is broad support for giving priority to protecting the environment even if it causes slower economic growth, though this is somewhat less in large and medium towns.

There are high levels of support for taxes on businesses who produce the highest carbon emissions and for greater use of solar and wind power. There are no town-city divides in popularity these measures.

There is broad support for government subsidies for home insulation and regulations for new homes and buildings to be environmentally-friendly.

There are notable (if not entirely surprising!) differences in attitudes between towns and cities on transport, however. City-dwellers are more likely to support ending the sale/use of petrol and diesel vehicles and making car users pay higher taxes.

It wouldn't be a @centrefortowns report without a mention of buses... People in towns, and small towns especially are more likely to say they would only travel by town if they had 'no other choice'.

Interestingly, people in rural areas (villages and communities) are more likely to support limiting the number of times people can fly and having air travellers bear the cost of environmental damage.

Across all areas we see majority support for a 'Green New Deal' that would 'address climate change by investing government money in green jobs and energy efficient infrastructure' (with support slightly higher in core cities).

Who are trusted as messengers on the environment? In general people have a high level of confidence in environmental organisations, and this differs relatively little between towns and cities.

@TheGreenParty and @Greenpeace are most trusted on the environment in villages, small towns and cities.

Sir David Attenborough is trusted pretty much everywhere!

In contrast, trust in Extinction Rebellion is much higher in villages (!) and core cities, than in towns. It is not yet trusted as a messenger on the environment by the public.

You can read more of the report here... https://www.centrefortowns.org/reports/public-opinion-on-the-environment

Perhaps the main takeaway from the report is that the environment is unlikely to be a fruitful front line of culture way politics in the UK. There is a broad pro-environmental consensus across towns and cities.

That is even if there is some difference of view on specific questions relating to transport.