Our plan for the May elections
Dear [Name],
2026 may have got off to a miserable start – and an alarming one to those of us with an eye on the climate – but there is a ray of sunshine on the horizon…
Here at VoteClimate, we believe in the collective power of voters to bring change. This May’s elections are a major opportunity to show your council – and the UK government – that action to protect climate and nature is a vote-winner.
Our plan for the May elections
In a few weeks, we’ll be launching our digital campaign for this May’s elections. Whether you’re preparing for council or mayoral elections in England, or getting ready for devolved elections in Scotland or Wales, we’ll be sharing:
- Your voting recommendation for the elections happening in your area
- Information on the parties’ pitches on climate and nature
- Tips on how to share this information with friends and family online and in real life
Are you in or near Cardiff or Cambridge? We need you!
This year, we’re focusing our campaign efforts on particular target areas. We’ve looked at our membership numbers and the prospect for pro-climate parties in different parts of the country, and chosen Cardiff and Cambridge as our VoteClimate targets in this year’s elections. If you’re in or near these areas, you can help!
So what’s the plan?
We will support members like you to run a locally led election campaign and have a positive impact for climate at the ballot box. Can you help with some of the following activities? Or maybe you have ideas of your own.
- Stop press! Send a press release to your local media contacts to share our locally focused election analysis
- Digital campaign: Share information about the best vote for climate and nature in your ward, district or borough
- Family and friends: Encourage your online and real-world social networks to join VoteClimate to receive voting recommendations ahead of the local elections
- Events: Identify like-minded events in your area – like candidate hustings or National Emergency Briefing screenings – and go along to encourage other attendees to sign up to VoteClimate
How do I get involved?
Reply to this email and let us know if you’re up to the challenge – please let us know your name and postcode, and how much time you’ve got to give in April and early May. You can also share how you’d like to help from the menu of options above or with ideas of your own – but if you’re not sure, that’s fine too.
February’s climate news
- Greens win big: Although climate wasn’t a big part of the Gorton and Denton by-election campaign, the Greens’ 12-point victory over Reform puts paid to the idea that the public is vehemently opposed to ‘net zero’ – despite a well-funded campaign by climate deniers.
- Hothouse horror: A new report has found that once temperature rises breach a certain limit, key tipping points could be triggered, destabilising further systems and leading to a dramatic ‘Hothouse Earth’ scenario which will be difficult to reverse even if emissions are reduced.
- Europe’s 3C future? The EU’s climate advisory board has urged nations to prepare for 3C of warming, saying this is ‘not rocket science’. UN scientists have previously described this level of warming as ‘hellish’. Giving in to a 3C world is a sign of our politicians’ failure to keep us safe.
- Wet, wet, wet! By February, the UK had experienced the most consecutive days of rain since 1908, bringing flooding to southern England. A blocked weather system fixed high pressure over Scandinavia, while low pressure approached from the southwest – a sign of the climate chaos to come.
- Mozzie mayhem: Temperature rises mean chikungunya – a painful tropical disease spread by tiger mosquitoes – can now be spread throughout most of Europe. Although there is no evidence of onward transmission in the UK, the mosquitoes can now survive for two months of the year in parts of southern England.
Policy news: Warm Homes Plan
The government may be tearing itself apart, but there have been some policy announcements since our last newsletter, with January seeing the publication of the long-awaited Warm Homes Plan. Buildings are the second-biggest source of emissions in the UK after transport – with gas boilers providing heat to 85% of homes. So what are the key points?
- The plan includes £15 billion to help up to 5 million households install heat pumps, solar panels and insulation by 2030 – with £5 billion aimed at low-income households.
- With an emphasis on ‘electrification’, a key pillar of the plan is for 450,000 heat pumps to be installed per year by 2030 – lower than Boris Johnson’s 2021 target of 600,000 a year by 2028.
- It extends the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme – a grant for heat pumps – and adds £2 billion of low- and zero-interest loans for upgrades.
- While industry experts, trade unions and think tanks have broadly welcomed the plan, it makes no mention of the touted 2035 boiler ban, and does not extend to public buildings.
The VoteClimate view is that while this announcement is a necessary measure and a step in the right direction, it is disappointing that the Warm Homes Plan is less ambitious than the 2021 Tory pledge on heat pumps. The decision to drop the proposed gas boiler ban is wrong. A ban would add a sense of urgency and focus policy-makers’ minds on ensuring no new gas systems are installed after 2035.
We hope you’re inspired to get involved with our plans for the May elections – and show the impact of people power on your council's or government's climate policy.
With very best wishes
Beccy, Ben, Jamie, Garry, Peter & Will
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