The UK government has lost another court battle over its failure to meet its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, following a successful challenge by environmental campaigners. The High Court has concluded that Energy Minister Grant Shapps signed off on the government’s climate plan without any evidence it could be achieved, prompting the need for it to be rewritten. The legal action was instigated by Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth, and The Good Law Project.
Responding to the ruling, a spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated that the UK has made considerable progress in terms of climate change and that a legal dispute is not the best way to achieve the net-zero goal shared by both parties. The latest ruling is the second time in two years that the government has been censured in this way, following the Net Zero Plan, which was dismissed in 2022 for not explaining precisely how the UK would cut emissions in line with the Climate Change Act.
According to Tony Bosworth, lead campaigner at Friends of the Earth, it’s an “embarrassing day” for the government. Concerns have been raised that the former Energy Secretary did not consider the risks posed by the plan’s policies, adding that the new climate plan required is comprehensive and balanced, ensuring that all climate targets are met in a way that does not leave anyone behind.
Later on Friday, the judge is expected to provide a deadline for reviewing the plan. The campaigners argued that the energy minister had signed off on the government’s climate plan without reviewing how this plan could be achieved and argued that it left too many risks. The decision is expected to prompt widespread criticism of the government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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