Defending our right to clean air
Today ClientEarth’s lawyers are at the Supreme Court defending our right to clean air. It is the final hearing of a four-year-long legal battle with the UK Government for failure to protect us from the most harmful impacts of air pollution. The outcome could help put the UK on a firm path towards cleaner air, preventing thousands of early deaths each year.
ClientEarth has taken the UK Government to court for failure to meet legal limits of nitrogen dioxide, a harmful pollutant, by the 2010 deadline and for failing to produce plans to meet these by the possible extension deadline of 2015. In fact through the legal challenge, the Government has admitted that it does not plan to meet these legal limits, designed to protect human health, until after 2030. The Supreme Court already ruled in 2013 that the Government is breaking the law and today will consider what action it will ask it to take.
ClientEarth wants the Government to produce a plan to achieve legal limits as soon as possible to protect its citizens from the impact of air pollution.
You can watch the hearing streamed live by the court from 10.30am.
What can you do?
The Supreme Court will not make its final ruling until after the General Election but it should have important ramifications for the next Government.
- Sign up here to support our campaign
- Tweet about your #RightToCleanAir
- Find out what we think needs to be done.
