On the day the UK was subject to its first ever red alert for extreme heat, the Government was dealt an embarrassing blow as the High Court ruled its strategy for getting to Net Zero is inadequate and unlawful.
The Climate Change Act requires Government to hit Net Zero by 2050, to make proposals as to how it will meet that target, and to place a report before Parliament.
But this week, as record-breaking temperatures were recorded across the UK, the High Court judge held that the high profile proposals for achieving Net Zero approved by the Secretary of State were too vague to enable him to be satisfied that the statutory targets would be met. And he said the report placed before Parliament lacked the specificity necessary to meet the Secretary of State’s duty to inform Parliament and the public of his plans.
Launching the Net Zero Strategy last October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed: “Our strategy for net zero is to lead the world in ending our contribution to climate change.”
Secretary of State, Kwasi Kwarteng, added: “This strategy demonstrates how the UK is leading by example, with a clear plan for the future.”
Now the High Court has ordered that the existing Strategy be fleshed out with the detail necessary for Parliamentary – and public – scrutiny within the next eight months.
Syntegra MD Alan King said: ‘The extreme heatwave this week is a stark reminder of the very real threat we are dealing with. Problems are happening now in our communities and people and the environment are suffering.
‘The Net Zero target must be a road map to a sustainable future or situations we have seen his week, coupled with extreme flooding we have become increasingly accustomed to enduring, will become commonplace, decimating homes and communities. Actions we take now, can have a positive impact in the future so yes, we do need detailed plans to be forthcoming so we can advise businesses and individuals accordingly on measures they should be considering.’
