UK: Nigel Farage to run for MP, pledging to oppose climate policies

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has announced his candidacy for MP, emphasizing his opposition to climate action and net zero policies.

Sam Bright reports for DeSmog.


In short:

  • Nigel Farage is standing for MP and will lead Reform UK, succeeding Richard Tice.
  • Farage has consistently opposed climate action, calling for a referendum on the UK's net zero emissions target.
  • Reform UK's anti-climate policies reflect Farage's views, including skepticism of climate science and support for fossil fuels.

Key quote:

“I think wind energy is the biggest collective economic insanity I’ve seen in my entire life. I’ve never seen anything more stupid, more illogical, or more irrational.”

— Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK

Why this matters:

Farage's candidacy and leadership of Reform UK could amplify anti-climate policies in Parliament, challenging the UK's climate commitments. This stance contrasts with public support for renewable energy and climate action, potentially influencing future environmental policies.

A group of workers standing next to a yellow truck fixing a pipe

Trump ordered to release billions in climate grants

From the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, to sewage problems in Alabama, stalled projects could get new life after federal court rulings.
Man's hands holding coal against a background of black coal

Pennsylvania coal industry positions itself for a future in energy and new tech

Some see this moment of rapidly growing energy demand and desire for reliable, domestic energy as an opportunity to revitalize coal’s image.
Miner working a jackhammer in a coal mine.
Credit: Maxim Gutsal/BigStock Photo ID: 317665009

India fuels worldwide jump in planned coal production

Rise in new mine proposals, mainly in states of Odisha and Jharkhand, comes despite plateau in global demand.

A solar panel with wind turbines and an energy plant in the background

Amid renewable energy backlash, some Nebraska communities are making millions

Power generation is essential for economic growth, according to business leaders, but some Nebraskans remain steadfast in their opposition to wind and solar.

Children under adult tutelage working on community gardening

A green oasis grows in North Philadelphia’s heat island

As cities heat up, a beloved community garden holds a key to a cooler, safer future.
Man wiping the sweat off of his forehead with a shirt while sitting outside in a park

Warning for heat and drought-hit UK: It gets worse without climate action

Climate Change Committee’s Baroness Brown said the ‘evidence is screaming at us’ of the need to act on climate change.
Rustic wooden boards in a trail into the woods indicating four paths to follow.
Credit: vbacarin/BigStock Photo ID: 408344102

Video: A bicycle journey across Brazil to find a vanishing savanna

In “Here There Was Cerrado” — the Second-Place Winner of the 2026 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — Natascha Otoya shows how industrial farms are plowing up the Brazilian savanna, changing the flow of water, and skewing human memory of the landscape.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.