Britain’s climate action plan unlawful, high court rules

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A High Court in the UK has ruled the government's climate action plan unlawful due to insufficient evidence that the policies in place will meet required greenhouse gas emission reductions
• The energy secretary is now mandated to draft a revised plan within a year that aligns with the UK's carbon budget and emission reduction targets.

🔭 The context: Environmental organizations including Friends of the Earth and ClientEarth, challenged the approval of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, arguing that it was based on overly optimistic assumptions
• The court found that the government had acted on incorrect information, breaching the Climate Change Act

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This ruling underscores the judiciary's increasing role in holding governments accountable for their climate commitments, essential for global efforts to combat climate change and meet the Paris Agreement targets

⏭️ What's next: The government must create a new, legally compliant climate action plan that realistically addresses the necessary emissions reductions. This plan will be crucial for the UK to meet its 2030 and 2050 climate goals.

💬 One quote: "We urgently need a credible and lawful new action plan that puts our climate goals back on track," said Katie de Kauwe, lawyer for Friends of the Earth

📈 One stat: The Climate Change Committee noted that the UK government had credible policies for less than 20% of the emissions cuts required to meet its sixth carbon budget.

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