Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Carbon Budget Delivery Plan: High Court Judgment

Tuesday 21 May 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Nadia Whittome questioned the Government about the High Court judgment concerning the carbon budget delivery plan.
  • The Government claimed they have cut emissions faster than any other G20 country over the last decade.
  • The Government stated the judgment does not criticize their plans or policies, asserting they will meet the net zero by 2050 target.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
Climate
Context

The High Court ruled the Government's carbon budget delivery plan unlawful, posing potential issues for climate change policies.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential implications for her policies of the High Court judgment of 2 May 2024 relating to the Government's carbon budget delivery plan?

Answer from Justin Tomlinson

The Government are immensely proud of our record on climate change. We have cut emissions faster than any other G20 country over the last decade. The judgment contains no criticism of our detailed plans or the policies themselves, which will keep the UK on track to meet net zero by 2050.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific implications of the High Court ruling and its impact on current policies were not addressed

How: Pride In Climate Record, No Criticism From Judgment

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Q2 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
Climate
Context

The Government's carbon budget delivery plan has been ruled unlawful, potentially leading to severe climate consequences for future generations.

Question

The Government have a legal and moral duty to meet our carbon emissions target. Failure to do so would consign my generation, and generations after mine, to a future of climate catastrophe, so it is beyond a joke that the Government's carbon budget delivery plan has now been ruled unlawful, not just once but twice. When will the Minister tell the flat earthers sitting behind him to stop trying to make net zero a culture war issue, and instead deliver a transition that both meets our climate obligations and improves people's living standards?

Answer from Justin Tomlinson

Our carbon budget delivery plan has over 300 detailed policies. We are recognised as a leader internationally, having already cut emissions by half—the first major economy to do so—with a further ambitious target to get to 68% by 2030, compared with just 55% for the shadow Secretary of State's beloved EU.

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask about addressing unlawful carbon budget plans and improving living standards was ignored

How: International Leadership, Emission Reduction Achievements

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