UK Government won’t appeal ruling Net Zero Strategy is illegal

The High Court’s decision that Britain’s approach to balancing its carbon footprint constitutes breaking international law has been accepted by Downing Street.

The UK Government is not appealing a legal ruling that its Net Zero strategy is illegal, which campaigners say suggests policymakers already knew their proposals were unsuitable before presenting the publicly. 

Friends of the Earth, Good Law Project, and ClientEarth collectively took the cabinet to court over current Net Zero aims because of a perceived failure to show how legally-binding carbon targets will be met. The ruling found in favour of the claimants, and although there was an option to appeal the decision, this will not be followed up on according to a recent announcement. 

‘So the government has been forced to accept its flagship climate strategy is unlawful. Another embarrassing climbdown. Rather than threatening communities with fracking, Liz Truss and Jacob-Rees Mogg should focus their efforts on improving the strategy so they meet the UK’s legally-binding climate targets and move away from expensive fossil fuels,’ said Jo Maugham, Good Law Project Director, who described the ruling as a ‘landmark’. 

‘Now that the government has confirmed it won’t be appealing, its efforts must now be directed at publishing a revised Net Zero Strategy that complies with July’s landmark judgement,’ added Sam Hunter Jones, a senior lawyer at ClientEarth. ‘Skyrocketing energy prices and the worsening climate crisis make it abundantly clear the government must move further and faster away from expensive and polluting fossil fuels.’ 

In June, a survey showed that 74% of UK residents want tougher government targets in air pollution.

Image: Tingey Injury Law Firm