Ruling due in air pollution case


Many areas in the UK suffer from illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution. In fact, government plans show that some areas will not even meet legal limits until after 2030, flouting EU laws designed to protect human health. ClientEarth’s case against the UK Government relates to a number of towns and cities across the UK where the nitrogen dioxide is at dangerous levels. The latest judgment, from the ECJ, ruled that the national courts had to ensure compliance with the law.

There is a detailed summary of the case here.

Wednesday 29th April will see the Supreme Court giving a final ruling on the case. ClientEarth will be looking for a conclusion to this case that forces the government to protect its citizens.

So, with a general election just around the corner and a growing public anger at the health crisis caused by vehicle emissions, every politician needs to start paying attention. Whoever is in power needs to have some ambitious ideas to stop the UK breaking the law and to ensure we breathe clean air.

The judgment hand down will be streamed live online.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can challenge poor air quality using the law, ClientEarth have produced this handbook.




Photo credit: Hector MacQueen via flickr cc

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