Volunteers from the Southampton Greenpeace group have been knocking on doors around Highfield, Southampton, talking to residents about the climate crisis and urging them to vote with climate and nature in mind at the next general election.
Project Climate Vote, Greenpeace’s nationwide mass door-knocking programme, is aiming to recruit one million Climate Voters ahead of the next election to force UK political parties to strengthen their plans to tackle the climate, nature and cost of living crises now, at the election and in years to come.
Polling from Survation, commissioned by Greenpeace, shows that in Southampton Test, 73% of people who expressed an opinion said climate and environmental policies would be important to them when considering how to vote.
Rosie from the Southampton Greenpeace group said : “Most people in Southampton and across the country are concerned about the climate and nature crisis and want more government action on it, but politicians often ignore them. We want to change that by working together to make sure all political parties hear this message loud and clear. With an election on the horizon, this is the best shot we have to make sure our government is up to the job of tackling these issues – we must make our voices heard. Solutions like affordable renewables, home insulation and clean transport are already here, they’re popular, affordable and bring plenty of other benefits – what’s missing are political leaders willing to unleash them. So if, like most people, you want stronger, faster action on climate, now is the time to say that as loudly as you can and become a climate voter.”
As the last party conferences before the election get underway, Greenpeace UK is mobilising its entire volunteer network on Project Climate Vote. The door-knocking campaign will see thousands of people holding conversations about climate on the doorstep, over the phone and on social media, with a focus on dozens of key marginal seats, from now until the election. People will be encouraged to register to vote ahead of the election and to hold the government to account afterwards.
More than 100,000 people have signed an open letter addressed to all political leaders demanding stronger action on climate, stating that “we will judge you at the next election”. More than 3,000 volunteers signed up to take part in a launch call with writer and campaigner George Monbiot earlier in the month, and this was the first weekend of action (September 30 – October 1) with dozens of events across the country to kickstart a huge wave of climate conversations.
In its new manifesto asks, Greenpeace UK is calling for the next government to prioritise:
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Fixing our energy-wasting homes, unlocking affordable renewables and making public transport cheaper for everyone;
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Boosting the economy, creating thousands of jobs and supporting communities dealing with climate impacts by channelling investment into green industries and taxing the biggest polluters more;
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Protect nature at home and abroad from sewage and plastic pollution, destructive fishing and industrial agriculture.
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