Chris Packham to challenge HS2 decision on climate change grounds
Renowned broadcaster and naturalist Chris Packham has launched a legal challenge against Boris Johnson’s decision to green light the controversial HS2 rail project on climate grounds.
According to Packham, the climate impact of HS2 is “incompatible” with the UK’s net zero target, and will damage or destroy almost 700 wildlife sites, including over 100 ancient woodlands.
The challenge comes less than a week after plans to build a third runway at Heathrow were put on hold after climate groups including Friends of the Earth successfully challenged the project on the grounds that it did not comply with the UK’s commitment to the 2015 Paris Accords.
The government has said that it will not challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision.
Packham is being represented by Leigh Day, the same firm that represented Friends of the Earth in the Heathrow challenge.
The firm, who have sent a commencement letter on behalf of Packham, will arguing that the decision to give the go-ahead to HS2 was unlawful because it relied on the Oakervee review process, which it says did not take into account the full environmental costs of the project.
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According to the filing, the review was “compromised, incomplete and flawed and thus the decision to proceed based upon it is unlawful”.
The firm points to the fact that the report in question “failed to quantify and address the full impact of emissions arising from HS2’s construction and operation – all at a time of declared climate emergency”.
Tom Short, the solicitor representing Packham, said: “The government committed to base its decision of whether and how to proceed with HS2 on the output of a review that the public was assured would be rigorous and independent and would consider all the existing evidence and the full range of the costs of the project.
“In a time of unprecedent ecological catastrophe, he is clear that the law, and moral logic, require the Government to think again.”
A Department for Trasnport spokesperson said: “We are considering this and will respond in due course.
“We understand campaigners’ concerns, and have tasked HS2 Ltd to deliver one of the UK’s most environmentally responsible infrastructure projects. When finished, HS2 will play a key part in our efforts to tackle climate change, reducing carbon emissions by providing an alternative to domestic flights and cutting congestion on our roads.”