Justice Matters: 

This week’s inspiration for JM came from a short video sent to me about net zero.   Our government has said our country will be net–zero by 2050. However it has been taken to court. The court has ruled that the UK government's net-zero strategy is in breach of the Climate Change Act 2008 - as it doesn't explain how targets will be met.  But what does net-zero mean and why is it important?

See:       Greenpeace says “..‘net zero’ means that by 2050, the amount of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) the UK adds to the atmosphere, is no longer more than what they take out. This could – on the face of it – make the UK’s total contribution to climate change zero.” As important as having ambition is, having a plan to achieve it is essential. In the years leading up to 2050 (i.e. NOW), our whole economy must take steps to get to zero emissions. The vast majority of our emissions need to be entirely eliminated. However, some areas, such as growing food and some heavy industry, the technical solutions are still evolving. We may need to counterbalance the remaining carbon such industry pumps out through doing some good things for the environment e.g. planting trees. The BIG message is that whilst nature-based solutions are brilliant, we humans still need to change our behaviours. 

The government was taken to court because the net zero strategy was believed to be too vague and without sufficient detail. Client Earth (an organisation which uses the law to press for systemic change) says “The court found that parliament and the public were not told about a shortfall in meeting a key target to cut emissions……the government’s net zero strategy did not add up to the reductions necessary to meet the sixth carbon budget.”  The court ruled that the minister who signed off the net-zero policy did not have all the legally required information when he signed off the strategy. The UK must now ensure the strategy is fit for purpose within 8 months. 

Reflect:       ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.” ' 

Are we like the widow who doggedly sought for justice?  How far do such agencies as Greenpeace, Client Earth pester authority to ensure justice?

Action:      The government are meant to be currently revising and updating their net-zero strategy.  Perhaps as concerned citizens we could ask our MPs to check how this is going?  To ask whether they are being consulted?

Protest is a legitimate means of pestering  authority and speaking truth to power.  The proposed Policing Act and Public Order Bill, would outlaw many “pesterers” and threaten legitimate protest.  Find out more about this bill.

Tricia Kaminski