Govt climate policies fall short of legally binding sixth carbon budget, court hears

It was revealed in the High Court today that policies outlined in the government’s Net Zero Strategy will not add up to the reductions necessary to meet the sixth carbon budget – the volume of greenhouse gases the UK can emit during the period 2033-37.

The revelation was made during a legal challenge – by Friends of the Earth, Good Law Project and ClientEarth – to the government’s Net Zero Strategy.

Under the Climate Change Act the government must produce climate policies that will ensure that legally binding carbon budgets are met.

But a government submission, read out in court today, makes clear that the quantified policies in the Net Zero Strategy only added up to around 95% of the carbon reductions needed to meet the sixth carbon budget. The shortfall would, according to the government, be made up by additional polices that are still to be developed.

This information has not previously been available to Parliament or the public, reducing the possibility of effective scrutiny.

Friends of the Earth lawyer, Katie de Kauwe, said:

“It’s taken legal action to reveal that the policies in the government’s Net Zero Strategy do not add up to the emission reductions needed to meet the sixth carbon budget – a target it is legally required to meet. This information should have been made available to both Parliament and the public.

“We believe this is proof that the government’s climate strategy is both inadequate and unlawful.

“We need a Net Zero Strategy that ensures UK climate targets are met and enables the country to seize the benefits of building a cleaner, safer future.”