header-logo header-logo

18 March 2020 / Martin Baxter , Safia Iman
Issue: 7879 / Categories: Features , Environment
printer mail-detail

Net zero 2050: the countdown

With the UK currently not on track to meet legally-binding net-zero carbon targets, Martin Baxter & Safia Iman consider how successive governments can be held to account
  • The Climate Change Act 2008 includes a long-term 2050 target, together with a process for setting legally-binding carbon budgets.

Growing public interest in climate change and the environment raises important questions in terms of government accountability.

Poor air quality, declining biodiversity, plastic waste and climate change are significant long-term challenges which will require concerted effort from government and investment over the long-term to make the necessary improvements. Politicians are in the public glare as the public demands immediate action to what essentially are deep-rooted systemic problems that transcend political cycles; a position made harder by declining levels of trust in politics.

Additionally, the UK is not on track to meet the legally-binding net-zero carbon targets set, if this is not addressed with some urgency, it may result in higher economic costs.

Balancing the need for

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

Ken Fowlie, chairman of Stowe Family Law, reflects on more than 30 years in legal services after ‘falling into law’

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Regional law firm expands employment team with partner and senior associate hires

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Nottinghamtrusts, estates and tax team welcomes two senior associates

NEWS
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
back-to-top-scroll