Chris Packham Takes Legal Action Against UK Government on Climate Policy
- Chris Packham filed legal challenges against the UK government in late 2023 regarding the removal of essential environmental policies.
- A High Court judge ruled that the previous government had acted unlawfully in its decision to scale back climate commitments.
- The new Labour government has reached a legal settlement, agreeing to reconsider the challenged decisions and pledging to improve environmental policies.
In late 2023, Chris Packham, a prominent environmentalist and TV presenter, took legal action against the UK government for unlawfully delaying critical environmental policies. The Conservative administration, under then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, had announced significant rollbacks to climate initiatives aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2050. These changes included postponements of bans on new petrol and diesel cars and modifications to energy efficiency mandates, which sparked backlash from environmental advocates and legal experts alike. A High Court ruling in May 2024 concluded that the prior government acted unlawfully, declaring their decisions unjustified by evidence. This ruling triggered public discourse about the government's approach to climate change amid rising energy costs and a cost-of-living crisis, which the previous administration cited as justification for the policy alterations. Following the court's decision, the new Labour government reached a settlement with Packham. They agreed to reassess the modified environmental policies as part of the update to their carbon budget delivery plan (CBDP). This development reflects a shift in governmental priorities towards a more serious commitment to climate action and better environmental governance. Packham, in a statement expressing satisfaction with the outcome, remarked on the irresponsibility of the previous government's short-term strategies. He is set to meet with the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero to discuss more comprehensive measures to combat climate breakdown, reinforcing a collaborative effort moving forward.