PRESS RELEASE

Campaigners are seeking to challenge government policy on road-building at the High Court today, Tuesday 3 December. In a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice this afternoon, lawyers for Transport Action Network (TAN) will argue that the Department for Transport could not rely on the Zero Emissions Mandate cutting emissions enough to meet climate targets.

The National Networks National Policy Statement (NNNPS) [1] was formally designated on 24 May, minutes before Parliament was dissolved for the general election. After asking for more time, in a surprise decision the new government issued a defence at the end of August. The policy creates a legal presumption in the planning system in favour of road expansion and effectively requires carbon emissions from road schemes to be ignored.

In 2021, the Department for Transport published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) [2], saying “we cannot, of course, simply rely on the electrification of road transport, or believe that zero emission cars and lorries will solve all our problems, particularly for meeting our medium-term carbon reduction targets to 2035”. Ministers then acknowledged we also need to be “using cars less” and that “[a]ccelerating modal shift to public and active transport” should be the top strategic priority.

Despite the cross-party Transport Committee heavily criticising the draft NNNPS in October 2023 [3] then the High Court ruling on 3 May that the government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan was inadequate, Conservative and now Labour ministers are refusing to change course.

A full briefing about the issues in the case is available on TAN’s website.

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Notes to editors:

TAN helps local communities fighting damaging road schemes and savage bus cuts, and seeking sustainable alternatives. Although only established in 2019, it brings together people with over 100 years’ experience of environmental campaigning. More information at transportactionnetwork.org.uk.

[1] National Networks National Policy Statement (2024)

[2] Transport Decarbonisation Plan (2021)

[3] New planning policies for major road and rail schemes need clarifying against Net Zero laws, says Transport Committee (2023)