The UK High Court has ruled that the government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan was unlawfually approved due to inadequate evidence to support the feasibility of its policies to meet climate targets. This legal decision follows a challenge by environmental groups including Friends of the Earth and ClientEarth. The groups argued that the plan, approved by Secretary of State Grant Shapps, was based on optimistic and insufficiently detailed information about how the proposed measures would help achieve the UK’s carbon reduction targets.

In response to the court’s findings, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been ordered to formulate a new, compliant action plan within 12 months. This is part of a broader scrutiny undertaking UK climate strategies, which have been under critique, notably with the government’s decisions to permit oil and gas drilling under offshore wind farms, and controversies surrounding other green policies under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration.

The judgement highlights a significant moment in UK climate policy, emphasizing the necessity for transparent and realistic planning to ensure that the country aligns with its legally binding target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This ruling also underscores the role of judicial processes in monitoring and enforcing government accountability in environmental and climate governance.