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Case update 30 March 2023
New Net Zero plan – has the Government done enough this time?
Dave Head / Shutterstock
Today, the Government has published its revised Net Zero plan – just a day before the court-ordered deadline – as a result of the legal challenge we brought together with Friends of the Earth, Client Earth and environmental campaigner, Joanna Wheatley. The High Court found in our favour – ruling that the original strategy was inadequate and unlawful, thereby forcing the Government to produce a new plan.
It is vital that the Government has a proper plan to ensure that carbon budgets and the 2050 Net Zero climate target are actually met. We will be reviewing what the Government has published today very carefully with our lawyers.
If we come to the conclusion that the Government’s new plan has once again fallen short of the mark, we will not hesitate to take further legal action. We have already arranged to meet again with Friends of the Earth and ClientEarth to discuss our next steps.
The Government has a moral and legal duty to get this right. So, at a first glance, it is disappointing to see that a number of the policies announced today have either been recycled from previous pledges or are not backed up with proper investment.
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Last week’s report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was yet another stark warning about our chances to stop the world from warming by more than 1.5C. If our planet is to survive, there’s no future for coal, oil and gas.
So it is extremely concerning that the Government has proceeded to open a new licensing round for companies to run oil and gas exploration schemes in the North Sea.
We must meet our climate targets to protect the planet and we are poised to continue to hold Ministers to account to make sure this happens.
But we can only do this vital work with your help. If you are interested in supporting us, you can do so here.