Climate charity Possible and campaigners from the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) are challenging the government’s Jet Zero Strategy, claiming it will fail to sufficiently reduce the sector’s environmental impact by 2050.
Published in July 2022, the government’s Jet Zero strategy aims to decarbonise aviation by 2050 by improving the sector’s efficiency and accelerating the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels and zero-emission flights.
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Possible senior campaigner Alethea Warrington told TTG: "We’re looking forward to seeing the government in court to explain why their perpetual growth plan for aviation is so dangerous for our climate that it’s illegal.
"There’s no way to fly without causing huge amounts of emissions that heat up our world. As most emissions from flights are from a small group of frequent flyers, the only sensible solution for our climate is policies to discourage frequent flying.
"Yet instead of cutting back on flights, our government is handing out huge chunks of public money to companies offering expensive, unproven and often polluting technologies. This just isn’t going to fly for our climate."
Both Possible and GALBA’s legal cases were initially brought last October on the grounds the strategy was in breach of the Climate Change Act of 2008, and that the transport secretary had failed to properly consult on it.
The local campaigners’ legal case has also brought additional grounds related to how the Jet Zero Strategy will impact local airports, such as Leeds Bradford.
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“Possible believes that the secretary of state failed unlawfully to take the independent expert’s advice into account,” said Leigh Day solicitor Rowan Smith, which represents the green charity.
“By not fully appreciating the risk to delivery that sustainable aviation fuel represents, he has breached his duties under the Climate Change Act 2008.”
TTG has approached the Department for Transport (DfT) for comment.
