The government is being forced to deliver an effective plan to tackle the UK’s air pollution crisis within eight months, after a high court judge rejected a longer timetable as “far too leisurely”. Environmental lawyers ClientEarth inflicted a humiliating legal defeat on ministers earlier in November – its second in 18 months – when the high court ruled that ministers’ plans to tackle illegal levels of air pollution in many UK cities and towns were so poor they were unlawful. An earlier government plan to tackle air pollution was declared illegal in April 2015 and ministers were ordered to produce a new strategy, which it did in December 2015. James Thornton, the CEO of ClientEarth, said: “It is very clear that the government must now act swiftly and decisively to protect British people from toxic and illegal air pollution. The government has said throughout this process that it takes air pollution seriously.

Source: The Guardian November 21, 2016 13:52 UTC