More than half of public say Starmer should keep £28bn green pledge – poll

More than half of the British public say Sir Keir Starmer should keep Labour’s £28 billion green spending pledge, a poll has suggested.

The Nature 2030 campaign survey, conducted by Yonder, asked more than 2,000 adults about Labour’s environmental policies between Friday and Sunday.

It comes after the party announced on Friday it was drastically scaling back its key commitment to spend £28 billion a year on green projects to £23.7 billion over the whole course of the next parliament.

Environmental groups, trade union allies and energy industry figures all expressed disappointment at the U-turn.

The Nature 2030 poll suggests the majority of British adults also disagree with the move with 54% saying Sir Keir should have stuck to the plans.

A majority was also found to support Labour taking further action to tackle litter and boost recycling.

The Tories have planned a UK-wide deposit return scheme, which would see customers charged a small deposit for drinks purchases that is refunded it they return the bottle, can or carton.

But they have faced widespread criticism from campaigners and industry for delaying the implementation date to 2025 at the earliest and excluding glass bottles from the scheme.

The survey found that 64% of British adults agreed that a future Labour government should press ahead with “an ambitious and comprehensive deposit return scheme” which includes plastic containers, glass bottles and metal drinks cans.

Dominic Dyer, environmental activist and chairman of Nature 2030, said: “The public is clearly in favour of maintaining bold action to invest in the future of our planet, and to take decisive action to help us meet our net-zero ambitions.

“There is also a clear appetite for introducing an ambitious deposit return scheme to put an end to the scourge of litter that blights our high streets and countryside.

“Labour must now urgently set out its plan to tackle the climate crisis and to create a green, circular economy. Short-term economic challenges are no excuse for the absence of a long-term commitment to protecting the planet.”

PA has contacted Labour for comment.