LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s new climate adaptation strategy is lawful, London’s High Court ruled on Friday, dismissing a landmark legal challenge brought by environmental campaigners.
Friends of the Earth took legal action over Britain’s national adaptation programme, which last year set out what the government and others will do to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Its case relied in part on the European Court of Human Rights’ April ruling that Switzerland violated its citizens’ human rights by failing to do enough to combat climate change.
Judge Martin Chamberlain rejected Friends of the Earth’s case in a written ruling.
The climate adaptation programme is designed to protect citizens from the risks posed by high temperatures, coastal flooding and extreme weather.
Friends of the Earth’s lawyer David Wolfe argued at the hearing in July that ministers had to set outcomes to address specific risks, rather than “a generic aim simply to reduce risks”.
Climate campaigners have increasingly turned to the law to force governments to move more quickly on tackling emissions.
Friends of the Earth was one of three groups which successfully challenged Britain’s latest climate action plan earlier this year.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)
