The Government risks a significant political backlash in flood-hit regions at the next general election unless it gets serious about combating climate change, according to a new poll published yesterday. 

The survey of four communities hit by this winter’s severe weather shows a clear majority of people are unhappy with both the government’s response to the emergency and its overall commitment to tackling climate change. Over two out of five (43%) say they would be more likely to vote for a party with a strong commitment on the issue.

The survey was conducted by the Climate Coalition, a group of over 100 organisations which includes Oxfam, RSPB, Christian Aid, Greenpeace, CAFOD, and Friends of the Earth.

The areas covered by the poll are the Conservative and Lib-Dem strongholds  of Somerset, West London, Cornwall and Oxfordshire, including the Prime Minister’s constituency of Witney.

Climate change has risen higher up the UK political agenda after the severe floods in southern England during the country’s wettest winter for 250 years. The Met Office said there could be a link between the record rainfall and climate change, which is likely to bring wetter weather to the country.

The survey shows that the level of concern about climate change has increased in the aftermath of the floods, with more than one in five people (22 per cent) saying they are more worried about it following the emergency.

A strong majority (59 per cent) of those surveyed also say they are not satisfied with the government’s response to the floods, and fewer than one in five (19 per cent) think the government has done enough to limit climate change in the first place.

EU leaders negotiate on new climate change targets

Europe’s leaders are meeting in Brussels in an attempt to negotiate a new set of targets on climate and energy for 2030. Although the agenda is likely to be dominated by the Ukraine crisis, campaigners are urging EU leaders to devote enough time to draw up the broad lines of an agreement, which would set a high bar for the next round of global talks.

The proposals tabled by the European cCommission in January included a commitment to cut carbon emissions by 40%, alongside measures to promote renewables and energy efficiency. Campaigners argue that  this is not enough and are calling for more ambitious cuts to CO2 emissions to keep temperature rises well below the 2 degrees Celsius limit.

Greenpeace UK Executive Director John Sauven commented:

“These floods show beyond doubt that Britain can’t pull up a drawbridge to keep itself safe from the risks of climate change. It’s time our government got serious about pushing for real action across the UK and Europe to slash the polluting emissions that are driving more extreme weather.

“The EU summit is Cameron’s first test to prove he’s learned the lessons from the floods and is taking climate security seriously.

“There’s a whole new constituency of people, including many in Cameron’s own county, who have experienced the brutal force of flooding for the first time. How he responds to the risks of climate change is becoming a major political issue which the prime minister will duck at his peril.”

RSPB Conservation Director Martin Harper added that the Government needed to work with nature to restore landscapes in the UK to ensure it was resilient to the increasing frequency of floods and drought.