The High Court is set to hear legal challenges brought by Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and Good Law Project over the government’s net zero strategy published in March this year.
In July 2023 the campaigners filed a judicial review after calling stating the government’s revised net zero strategy – the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, published 30 March – is unlawful falls short of the requirements in the Climate Change Act 2008.
Friends of the Earth lawyer, Katie de Kauwe, said: “We’re delighted to have confirmation that the High Court will hear our legal challenge. We believe we have a strong case that the government’s revised climate strategy is unlawful, with its own advisers saying their plans fall short.”
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The High Court has ordered a three day ‘rolled up’ hearing for the legal challenges. In a ‘rolled up’ hearing the question of permission is often heard in tandem with the substantive case itself. In practice this is effectively the same as a trial, in that the court is expected to allow each claimant to argue its case in full.
“There is now a new secretary of state, and this legal challenge is a timely reminder that every UK government has a legal duty to act on climate change – or risk facing legal action,” added de Kauwe.
“With growing concern over this government’s commitment to net zero, and the prime minister’s pledge to ‘max out’ North Sea oil and gas, the Climate Change Act is more important than ever in acting as a vital backstop to the political short-termism that is threatening all our futures,” she continued.
