UK climate strategy, High Court ruling, Friends of the Earth, climate adaptation, environmental legal challenge, climate change impacts, human rights, equality impact assessment, climate resilience, extreme weather
London’s High Court ruled on Friday that the UK’s climate adaptation strategy is lawful, rejecting a legal challenge from Friends of the Earth.
The environmental group had contested the national adaptation programme, introduced last year by the previous Conservative government, which outlines measures to help the country adapt to climate change impacts.
The challenge referenced a European Court of Human Rights ruling that Switzerland had infringed on citizens’ rights by not adequately addressing climate change.
Judge Martin Chamberlain dismissed the case, stating that even though the former government had not conducted a proper equality impact assessment, the outcome would “highly likely” remain unchanged if redone.
The judge also rejected other claims, including that the strategy inadequately addressed the needs of people with disabilities.
The UK’s adaptation plan is intended to protect citizens from dangers associated with heatwaves, coastal flooding, and extreme weather events.
At the July hearing, Friends of the Earth’s lawyer, David Wolfe, argued that the government should address specific climate risks directly rather than generally aim to reduce them.
Environmental groups like Friends of the Earth are increasingly using legal avenues to push for faster government action on climate issues.
Earlier this year, Friends of the Earth and two other groups successfully challenged the UK’s broader climate action plan.
