The Isle of Man's natural environment is one of our greatest assets. It shapes our identity, supports our health and wellbeing, underpins our economy, and forms a vital part of our UNESCO Biosphere status.

In previous elections, MWT has advocated for nature in a variety of ways, including publishing manifestos for Manx nature, promoting key environmental questions on social media, and participating in public hustings. While those approaches have helped raise awareness, we wanted to try something different for the 2026 General Election.

This year, MWT invited every declared candidate to discuss nature, climate, land use and environmental policy. Every candidate was offered the same opportunity to take part in a structured interview and was asked the same set of questions.

The response was extremely encouraging. Of more than 80 declared candidates, 35 chose to engage with the process. Most participated in an online interview, while several provided written responses and one candidate met with us in person. Together, those conversations provided a valuable insight into how prospective MHKs view the challenges and opportunities facing Manx nature over the next five years.

As a charity, MWT cannot endorse any political party or candidate. This article is therefore not intended to tell anyone how to vote. Instead, it summarises the views expressed by candidates who chose to engage with us, highlighting areas of agreement, differences of opinion and recurring themes. We have also listed those candidates who could not or would not participate.

While candidates held differing views on issues such as Net Zero, renewable energy and environmental regulation, there was strikingly broad support for protecting and restoring nature, improving access to the countryside, supporting nature-friendly farming, and recognising the importance of the Island's natural environment to our future prosperity and wellbeing.

We hope this summary helps voters better understand candidates' views on nature and the environment ahead of polling day.

Headline Findings

Several themes emerged consistently across the 35 candidates who engaged with MWT.

Strong support for nature

Almost every candidate expressed a personal connection to the Island's natural environment and recognised nature as an important part of the Isle of Man's identity, quality of life and attractiveness as a place to live and work.

Many candidates described formative experiences growing up in the countryside, farming, fishing, birdwatching, walking, volunteering, diving or spending time on the coast. Regardless of political background, there was widespread recognition that the Isle of Man's natural environment is one of its greatest assets.

Broad support for reducing fossil fuel reliance

No responding candidate supported long-term reliance on fossil fuels for the Island's energy needs.

Candidates differed on the technologies they favoured and the pace of change they considered achievable. Solar energy, offshore wind, energy security, energy independence, home energy efficiency and renewable generation all featured prominently in responses. Many candidates framed climate action in terms of reducing costs, increasing resilience and improving energy security rather than solely reducing carbon emissions.

Support for environmental action, with differing views on Net Zero

A majority of respondents supported the Isle of Man's legally binding 2050 Net Zero target, although support was often accompanied by caveats around affordability, practicality and delivery.

Several candidates questioned whether the current pathway is achievable and argued that environmental action should be communicated through outcomes that matter to residents, such as lower energy bills, improved energy security, healthier homes, economic opportunity and community wellbeing.

While opinions differed on the target itself, there was much broader agreement on the need to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and make greater use of renewable energy.

Strong support for increasing space for nature

Most candidates supported increasing the amount of land and sea managed for nature, although views differed on how this should be delivered.

Many emphasised that nature recovery should work alongside farming, food production, fisheries, recreation and appropriate development rather than compete with them. Working collaboratively with farmers, fishers, landowners and local communities was one of the most consistent themes across the interviews.

Several candidates highlighted:

• habitat restoration,
• hedgerow management,
• woodland creation,
• marine protection,
• peatland restoration,
• and nature-friendly farming.

Strong support for farmers as part of the solution

One of the clearest findings was that very few candidates viewed farming and conservation as opposing interests.

Across the political spectrum, candidates repeatedly described farmers as custodians of the Manx landscape and emphasised that environmental improvements must be delivered with farmers, not imposed upon them.

Food security, local food production, soil health, hedgerows, water quality and agricultural support schemes were recurring themes throughout the interviews.

Nature, health and wellbeing were closely linked

Almost every candidate drew a connection between nature and wellbeing.

Walking, spending time outdoors, volunteering, outdoor education, forest schools, access to green space and community growing projects were all regularly mentioned. Many candidates viewed nature not simply as something to protect, but as part of the solution to challenges around physical health, mental wellbeing and community resilience.

One of the strongest recurring sentiments was that people are more likely to value and protect nature when they actively experience it.

Education emerged as a recurring priority

Candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds highlighted education as a key part of long-term nature recovery.

Many supported:

• outdoor learning,
• environmental education in schools,
• youth engagement,
• volunteering opportunities,
• and helping residents better understand local wildlife and habitats.

Several candidates argued that early experiences of nature shape lifelong attitudes towards conservation.

Growing support for updating environmental legislation

A significant proportion of candidates agreed that parts of the Island's environmental legislative framework are outdated.

Many supported reviewing and updating legislation such as the 1990 Wildlife Act, while others highlighted the need for clearer delivery of existing commitments, stronger enforcement, and better monitoring and reporting of environmental outcomes.

Nature recovery was often viewed as an economic opportunity

A notable theme from many interviews was the idea that environmental protection and economic prosperity can work together.

Candidates referenced:

• sustainable fisheries,
• nature-friendly farming,
• nature tourism,
• renewable energy,
• biodiversity credits,
• carbon markets,
• and ecosystem services

as potential opportunities to support both the economy and environmental recovery.

Final Reflections

Having spoken with or received responses from 35 candidates across the Isle of Man, the most striking finding was not the areas of disagreement but the breadth of common ground. I would caveat this with the fact that this is only viewing the candidates that were prepared to engage with us.

Candidates came from very different political backgrounds and brought very different life experiences to the discussion. Some were farmers, some were business owners, some had backgrounds in education, local government, health, conservation, engineering, the armed forces or the maritime sector. Yet despite those differences, there was widespread recognition that the Isle of Man's natural environment is one of our greatest assets and that protecting it matters to our future.

Common themes repeatedly emerged throughout the interviews:

• reducing long-term reliance on fossil fuels;
• improving energy security and resilience;
• supporting local food production and food security;
• recognising farmers and fishers as part of the solution;
• increasing public access to nature;
• strengthening environmental education and outdoor learning;
• recognising the links between nature, physical health and mental wellbeing;
• updating environmental legislation and improving delivery of existing commitments;
• taking a longer-term approach to decision-making; and
• working more effectively across government, business, charities and local communities.

There were clear differences of opinion on some issues. The Isle of Man's Net Zero target generated a range of views, from strong support through to concerns about affordability, practicality and delivery. Candidates also differed on renewable energy, planning policy, environmental regulation and how quickly change should happen. However, even where opinions diverged, most candidates accepted the need to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity and improve the health of our natural environment.

One of the most encouraging findings was the extent to which candidates viewed nature as connected to wider issues rather than as a standalone environmental concern. Time and again nature was linked to food security, public health, education, tourism, community resilience, economic opportunity and quality of life. Many candidates also recognised that environmental recovery is most likely to succeed when it is delivered with farmers, fishers, landowners, businesses and local communities rather than imposed upon them.

Perhaps most importantly, there was a shared appreciation that what makes the Isle of Man special is not simply its economy, infrastructure or public services, but the landscapes, coastlines, wildlife and sense of place that surround us every day.

The challenge for the next administration will not be deciding whether nature matters. The challenge will be turning broad support into meaningful action, long-term investment and lasting results.

I would like to thank every candidate who took the time to engage with this process, whether through an interview, written response or meeting. Public office is clearly not an easy responsibility to take on (no les so in the Isle of Man), and the willingness of candidates to discuss these issues openly and thoughtfully is greatly appreciated.

Finally, I wish all candidates the very best for the 2026 General Election and encourage everyone to engage with the democratic process in a constructive, informed and respectful way, whether in person, online or at public events.

Whatever the outcome of the election, MWT looks forward to working with the next administration, and with elected representatives from across the political spectrum, to help create a future where both people and nature can thrive.

We used Manx Radio's election page as the main information source for inviting candidates for interview. Thank you to Amy Griffiths at Manx Radio for pulling all the candidate information together. There were a few candidates for whom we were never able to get contact details in this way.