London’s Elected Greens Baroness Jenny Jones AM and Jean Lambert MEP have congratulated ClientEarth on their historic legal win today, and called on the Mayor Boris Johnson to urgently review their air pollution policies.
(L-r): Green Leader Natalie Bennett, London Coordinator Caroline Allen, Jean Lambert MEP and London Coordinator Tom Chance campaigning earlier this year.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) delivered its judgement today in ClientEarth’s case against the UK government over its failure to tackle air pollution and meet Nitrogen Dioxide legal limits layed down under the EU Air Quality Directive. London was not expected to meet nitrogen dioxide limits until after 2030, 20 years after the original deadline for compliance.
The court judged in ClientEarth’s favour that UK plans should have aimed at compliance by 1 January 2015 at the latest, meaning that the UK is in ongoing breach of EU law. The result is significant as the ECJ’s first ruling on the effect of the Air Quality Directive, and will determine what action the UK courts take against the government. It will also set a precedent in respects of EU law which could clear the path for a series of legal challenges across Europe where governments are not protecting people from air pollution.
The case will return to the UK Supreme Court for a final ruling next year, when judges will apply the ECJ’s ruling to the facts in the UK case. This means that it is possible for the UK Supreme Court to order the government to instigate new plans to meet limits faster.
The Department for Health estimates that around 4,300 early deaths occur each year in London attributable to air quality related illness – more than deaths attributed to alcoholism or obesity.
Jean Lambert, London’s Green MEP said:
‘If the government cannot make sure that the air we breathe is clean and safe, the courts must do something – this decision means that people can bring actions, and rightly so. Here in London, overall one of the most polluted places in Britain, the Euston Road is already four times over the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide levels. This is due to two factors, Mayoral inaction from Boris Johnson and unacceptably high nitrogen dioxide levels, I’d like to see both go.’
Jenny Jones AM said:
“This is great news for Londoners’ health. This judgement shatters the Mayor’s complacency on air pollution. The Mayor must urgently rewrite his strategy and reinstate emergency measures to bring pollution down from its dangerous and illegal levels.”
Jenny Jones AM has previously called for the Mayor to implement emergency measures in the run up and during dangerous pollution episodes, as well as work on permenant fixes to London’s air pollution problem by bringing forward and extending the Ultra Low Emission Zone, cleaning up London’s bus fleet, and reversing the recent and expected future increases in traffic levels by investing more in the bus and cycling networks and cancelling road building projects.