The future of the 2035 petrol and diesel car ban could be in jeopardy as environmentalist Chris Packham prepares to take Rishi Sunak and the Government to court.
In an announcement in September last year, the Prime Minister announced that a number of net zero goals would be watered down or rolled back.
Chris Packham first threatened legal action against the Government in October, saying the Prime Minister had acted “unlawfully” when delaying these pledges.
This included the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans which was delayed from the end of the decade to 2035.
Chris Packham said the court case would take place later this year
PA
He said this was being done to give drivers the chance to invest in electric without the Government forcing them to make the switch sooner than they would be prepared.
Sunak identified high upfront costs, issues around practicalities and EV charging infrastructure as key barriers blocking drivers from investing in electric.
However, Chris Packham has now announced that his campaign has been granted a judicial review, allowing the TV presenter to take the Government to the High Court.
He accused the Government of going against sections 12 and 14 of the Climate Change Act, failing to take mandatory considerations into account and failing to consult with the public and key stakeholders.
In a video posted to social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, the wildlife expert said: “Cast your mind back to September of last year, our Prime Minister rowed back on some key net zero policies."
These included a rollback of zero emission vehicle ambitions, rules around gas boiler replacements, and insulation values in rented properties.
He added: “Now, my lawyers and I think this may well have been unlawful. I have been granted a judicial review.
“So, at some stage in 2024, I and my great team of lawyers will be heading to court to make sure that our Government sticks to its legal requirements when it comes to meeting the Climate Change Act of 2008.”
The conservationist said the need to hit back at the Government’s plans required “robust action”, adding that the planet was in a “climate and biodiversity emergency”.
Labour has repeatedly outlined plans to reinstate the 2030 ban on new internal combustion engine vehicles, as well as encourage electric driving among Britons.
Speaking in September, Steve Reed, shadow environment secretary, said Labour would keep a 2030 deadline because “that’s what businesses have been investing for”.
Carol Day, a solicitor of Leigh Day, the law firm representing Packham, said: “We are delighted Mr Justice Eyre has granted our client permission to advance these important grounds in the High Court.
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“Mr Packham will argue that it cannot be lawful for the Government to abandon carefully thought out policies designed to achieve net zero targets without having other measures in place.
“It would make the Government's report to Parliament under the Climate Change Act nothing more than a snapshot in time.”
