2024 General Election - resources for groups

On 4 July 2024, people across the country will head to the polls to vote for their future MPs. This is a key moment for our movement, as whoever wins the next election will set the course for whether the UK meets crucial climate targets, safeguards our health and wellbeing now, and protects our planet for future generations.

We need to use this opportunity to mobilise our communities, build and strengthen relationships with our current and future decision makers, and demand that action on climate and nature is embedded into the political agenda for years to come.

If your group's part of the United for Warm Homes campaign, check out our Warm Homes election campaign guide as well.

Let’s unite as friends of the earth this election.
 

What we're calling for

The general election is a key opportunity to put environmental justice at the top of candidates’ priority list. We have 4 demands for the next government:

1. An ambitious new climate plan that delivers on our global pledge to help prevent catastrophic climate change. The UK’s new climate plan must be credible and urgent enough to ensure the UK meets and exceeds its crucial 2030 global climate goal and legally binding national targets through deep cuts to harmful carbon emissions. A new climate plan must deliver long-term green jobs, secure Britain’s industries, and protect and support workers.
2. Investment in a £6 billion-per-year, council-led, street-by-street home insulation programme to cut bills and emissions. More than 2 years on from the start of the energy crisis, millions of people are still struggling to afford to heat their homes, and the health impacts of cold, damp homes are costing the NHS tens of billions of pounds. Investing in insulation and energy efficiency would create green jobs, bring down our energy bills and cut emissions.
3. An end to the sewage scandal and action to clean up the water and air pollution that’s harming our health and threatening our waterways, wildlife and nature. Enshrining the right to a healthy environment in UK law would give communities the power to hold companies and government legally accountable for polluting activities locally, and would improve our health and wellbeing through fresher air, clean water, and access to green spaces and trees.  
4. Action to ensure the UK plays its part in global efforts to tackle the climate and nature crises. This should include a new law to prevent corporations committing environmental and human rights abuses in their supply chains. We must reduce deforestation in biodiverse, carbon sinks like the Amazon and the Cerrado to protect nature and frontline communities.

Your group may also have other local, national or international issues that you want to focus on in your general election campaigning, whether that’s opposing a fossil fuel extraction site, stopping airport expansion where you live, or joining the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank. No matter your focus, you can use this opportunity to fight for a greener, fairer world.
 

How to win election commitments

Here are the 4 activities we recommend you focus on to win commitments from electoral candidates and make environmental justice the focus this election:

1. Organise a hustings
2. Meet with your election candidates
3. Get the word out in local media
4. Amplify your campaign on social media.

We’ve got lots of resources to help you with your campaigning like t-shirts, flyers and placards. Order your general election resources online for free. And make a splash in your local community by printing our poster  (also available in Welsh ) so everyone knows we’re united as friends of the earth this election. You can also get creative using our stencils  and handy DIY guide  to create your own banners, t-shirts, bags and much more!

Extremist and counter climate justice actors are gaining a stronger foothold in public discourse and are becoming an increasing threat to our campaign for climate justice, with environment and climate myths being used to stoke culture wars. That’s why it’s important that we come together within our communities and across the country to demand fair solutions that put people and planet first. This includes working with local partners like faith groups, food banks and trade unions. You might find these resources useful:

• Resisting threats to climate action and justice
• Building local alliances
• How to fight climate change misinformation

Tell us your plans

Whatever you’re planning, please fill out this short survey to let us know your plans. This is so we can keep track of the collective impact we’re having,  make sure we’ve got the right support in place for your campaigning, and help promote your campaign activities to supporters in your area.

We've been friends of the earth for over 50 years and we're not going to stop now. Let’s win ambitious action on climate and nature this election.