Podcasts & other media

Episode 17: Interview with Catherine Dobson – The UK’s Net Zero plans are declared unlawful, again

On 3 May 2024, the UK’s plan to meet the Sixth Carbon Budget set under the Climate Change Act 2008 (‘CCA 2008’) was declared unlawful for the second time by the High Court J in R (Friends of the Earth & Oths) v Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero [2024] EWHC 995 (Admin). In this episode, junior counsel for Friends of the Earth, Catherine Dobson, of 39 Essex Chambers, sets out the context of the judgment, the issues and the broader implications of this case. She considers in depth the nature of the analysis required of the Secretary of State under section 13(1) and (3) of the CCA 2008, as well as the information that the Secretary of State is required to include in its report laid before Parliament, pursuant to section 14 of the CCA 2008, to ensure transparency and accountability in relation to climate policy.