Opposition to fracking increases
Opposition to fracking in UK increases
Following on from research conducted last year, Opinium looked at the changing public reaction to fracking and found that opposition to shale gas extraction in the UK has crept up since May 2014.
Two in five (42%) UK adults said they opposed fracking or shale gas drilling taking place in the UK, while only half as many support it (23%). The gap has widened compared to last year, when 37% opposed it and 25% supported it.
Similarly, when we asked UK adults if they would support or oppose fracking taking place in their local area support dropped to 17% while just over half (52%) said they opposed it.
Public understanding remains low
Despite the slight shift in opinion against fracking, public understanding has not budged at all since last year. Although a large proportion (92%) of the adult population said they had heard of fracking only three in ten (30%) said they knew at least a reasonable amount about it, unchanged from last year.
It appears that the priority for the government, if they wish to change the tide of opinion, should be to concentrate on improving the understanding of fracking. 18-34 year olds were less likely than those aged 55+ to know a reasonable amount about fracking (25% vs 38%) and were also less likely to support it taking place in the UK (19% oppose vs 29% support).
Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,002 UK adults. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria. The research was conducted from 18th to 21st August 2015.
Last year, Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,002 UK adults. Results were weighted to nationally representative criteria and conducted from 9th to 12th May 2014.
