Government faces fresh legal challenge over 'unlawful' climate plans

For the second time in two years, the government is being challenged over its “feeble” climate strategy for tackling the climate crisis. The government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan (published on the 30^th March 2023) was heavily criticised in a report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), published in June 2023.

The CCC stated that the UK’s emissions reductions plans were only strong enough to achieve a fifth of the planned emissions cuts needed to meet the UK’s climate targets. The Carbon Budget Delivery Plan was the result of the 2022 ruling by the High Court which ordered the UK government to publish a revised strategy. Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth, and Good Law Project argue that the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan is still inadequate, and thus they have brought this fresh legal challenge, arguing that it breaches the Climate Change Act.

These groups allege that the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan relies dangerously on nascent, high-risk technologies to achieve net zero emissions, such as hydrogen, carbon capture, and low-carbon aviation fuel. ClientEarth CEO, Laura Clarke, said: “People in the UK and globally need to see the UK take urgent, decisive climate action. But instead, we see hesitation and delay from the government and are almost certain to miss emissions reductions targets.”

Read the full story, and see key details of the legal challenges, here: https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press/uk-government-faces-fresh-legal-challenge-over-unlawful-climate-plans/

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