‘Cop26 effect’ driving more environmentally-friendly Christmas, says WWF

The Cop26climate summit may have been branded a "failure" by climate activists, and "disappointing" by some British MPs, but alongside some of the despondency following the meeting, there are some silver linings.

As well as the welcome agreements to reduce coal and strengthen emissions-cutting targets, the WWF has said the high profile of the climate and nature crisis as a result of the summit has inspired a third of British people to be more environmentally friendly this Christmas.

The conservation organisation has labelled this the “Cop26 effect”.

New polling commissioned by WWF from Opinium Research shows almost two thirds (64 per cent) of UK adults who celebrate Christmas will try to be more "environmentally friendly" this year compared to last, with 35 per cent of those polled saying they had been inspired to try to do things differently due to media coverage of the worsening climate and nature crises.

Environmentally-friendly changes that people are increasingly likely to make, thanks to the recent news focus on the climate and nature crisis, include:

The organisation said the shift is particularly notable among younger people, with seven in ten of those aged 18 to 34 (70 per cent) who celebrate Christmas saying they were trying to be more environmentally friendly this year, with nearly half (46 per cent) of those polled inspired by recent news.

Kate Norgrove, WWF’s executive director of advocacy and campaigns, said: “It’s clear from this data that there’s been a tangible Cop26 effect in the UK.

"Without urgent action, we’re facing a code red for the planet, and the public have heard that message loud and clear."

She added: "People care and are ready to adjust their habits over the festive season to help tackle the twin threat of climate change and nature loss."

The WWF polling suggested environmentally conscious trends could continue into the New Year with 71 per cent of UK adults reporting that they will try to be more environmentally friendly in 2022, and over a third (37 per cent) of those polled saying they’ve been inspired to do this by recent coverage of the climate and nature crisis.

The organisation is now calling on the UK government to match the public appetite to become more environmentally friendly by setting more ambitious climate and nature commitments for the New Year.

The WWF suggests the introduction of a "net zero test" for all budgets and spending reviews to ensure government investments help move the UK towards a green future economy, and they are calling for a legally binding target to "significantly reduce the UK’s global environmental footprint by at least 75% by 2030.

They also said stronger due diligence measures in the Environment act could be used to eliminate deforestation, while a new land use and decarbonisation strategy for UK agriculture would help bring the sector in line with legally-binding net zero targets.

Ms Norgrove added: “The UK Government must show it’s also ready to deliver on its climate and nature promises as it looks towards 2022.

"Committing to a net zero test to ensure government investments align with climate goals, strengthening measures to tackle deforestation and conversion in UK supply chains, and supporting farmers to become stewards of nature would signal that Ministers are prepared to match the public’s appetite for action.”