ClientEarth takes legal action against UK government for the third time

Environmental lawyers ClientEarth have launched new legal action against the UK government for the third time, for its “persistent failure” to deal with illegal air pollution.

The move comes just a year after ClientEarth’s High Court victory forcing ministers to develop plans to tackle the problem.

The environmental law organisation said the plans still fell far short of what was needed to bring air pollution to within legal limits as soon as possible.

ClientEarth CEO James Thornton said: “The UK government’s stubborn failure to tackle illegal and harmful levels of pollution in this country means that we have no choice but to take legal action. We need clarity from the government and for that we’ve been forced to go back to court.”

ClientEarth’s grounds for judicial review are: the latest plan backtracks on previous commitments to order 5 cities to introduce clean air zones by 2020; the plan does not require any action in 45 local authorities in England, despite them having illegal levels of air pollution; and the plan does not require any action by Wales to bring down air pollution as quickly as possible.