Are we getting tougher on air pollution strategies?

The monumental fallout from the VW emissions scandal left us with serious questions about the lack of care shown by big corporations for our health and our environment. In the absence of any real government punishment, we’re also left wondering whether the State cares either.

So, what about the legal system? Do the judges and lawyers care? Well, part and parcel of what we’re doing here with our action is because we care, and we know there are judges who feel the same.

Earlier this year, a High Court ruling denied the U.K. government’s attempts to delay the publishing of their anti-air-pollution strategy. An official spokesperson for Theresa May claimed they will not be appealing the decision; but why delay it in the first place? This is really important stuff!

About the court ruling

Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was ordered by the court to publish a draft plan to tackle illegal levels of air pollution in November last year, yet she reportedly failed to do so. The judge criticised the government’s original plans (which included five clean air zones) with suggestions that they were so inadequate that they were nigh-unlawful.

The government had sought to postpone the publishing of their strategy as they felt it would drop a ‘controversial bomb’ amongst drivers amidst the election this summer. However, their attempts were thwarted in court when Mr Justice Garnham said Leadsom was in breach of a court order to take action, and further delays would also be considered a breach as well.

Why is this important?

This is of course important given the serious effect air pollution has across the world. Research suggests that tens of thousands of people die prematurely each year due to the level of emissions pollution in our cities. The Royal College of Physicians estimated that the damage air pollution costs is around £20 billion.

The judge noted that it’s essential the plans were published immediately in consideration of protecting public health, and ordered the draft plan be published by the end of July this year.

It was noted that:

“The continued failure of the government to comply with directives and regulations constitutes a significant threat to public health.”

Fighting for a better future

We cannot allow corporations or governments to neglect the important responsibility we all have to protect our environment. The damage caused by excess NOx emissions from the VW scandal worldwide cannot be allowed to happen again.

As lawyers, our job is to fight against the unfair, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. No one can get away with harming our health and our environment.