Comments by the Chancellor, desperate for economic good news suggest a troubling shift towards short-term thinking over the long-term stability of the UK's economy and environmental commitments. Likewise, the Prime Minister seems set to abandon his previous support for net zero carbon emissions and has attacked the ‘whims of Nimbys.’ 

Net Zero is not the blocker to growth  

It's ironic that the Chancellor has voiced support for airport expansions that would significantly increase carbon emissions whilst severe storms batter Northern Ireland and Scotland, and wildfires continue to devastate Los Angeles. Science is clear that climate change drives more extreme weather events, yet the UK Government appears willing to add fuel to the fire even as the effects at home become increasingly evident. 

The expansion of airports is questionable from both economic and environmental perspectives.

The Climate Change Committee has emphasised the need for a well-managed, coherent framework for aviation expansion, but these proposals fall short and are unlikely to yield substantial economic benefits. Some studies even show airport expansion could actively harm growth. Instead, they risk exacerbating existing regional inequalities between north and south whilst undermining the UK's legally binding climate change targets.  

Restoring our natural environment is key to achieving net zero and not just valuable for the wildlife we work to protect. Restoring natural habitats - such as seagrass meadows - draws down carbon and reduces economic damage from severe weather events, such as floods and storms, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

It would be truly mad to expand airports and to argue net zero is a blocker to growth when the Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government’s own economic adviser, published fiscal costs from climate change to the UK in September 2024 and came up with an increase in debt of 23% of GDP in 50 years for a ‘below 2°C’ scenario and 33% for a ‘below 3°C’ scenario. That is a catastrophic amount of economic damage for the UK economy, caused by climate chaos.    

Nature is not the blocker to growth 

Nature protections are not obstacles to success; they are the foundation of our economy and safety. The UK has legally binding targets to restore 30% of land and sea to nature by 2030. Abandoning these protections would be disastrous, especially as we face severe floods and storms, and 2024 being the warmest year on record, reaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. Nature underpins economic growth, providing essential services such as food, drinking water and clean air. 

The Dasgupta Review highlighted the economic value of nature, showing that our economy is built on a foundation of natural capital. Degrading this undermines economic stability and growth. By embedding nature recovery into all our economic plans, we can tackle the challenges of economic shocks from climate chaos, development and housing together. Strong leadership and properly enforced regulations are key to providing simplicity, certainty and driving business innovation in an integrated way. 

Likewise The Green Finance Institute's report highlights the significant economic risks posed by nature degradation, which could reduce the UK's GDP by 12%, surpassing even the devastating impacts of the global financial crisis or the Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies various nature-related risks, including soil health decline, water shortages, global food security issues, zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Notably, half of these risks originate overseas, underscoring the global interconnectedness of nature-related financial risks. The report calls for these risks to be acknowledged and addressed to enhance the UK's economic and financial resilience. 

In short, harming nature means harming the economy. 

Challenging bad development is not the blocker to growth 

The UK Government's attack on the right to challenge bad planning through judicial reviews is deeply concerning. Judicial reviews are essential for holding our decision-makers accountable and a last resort, used sparingly, to ensure developments do not breach legal requirements (necessary legal requirements, which have been put in place to safeguard our environment). Making the judicial review process more efficient without restricting access to justice is crucial. This includes ensuring robust strategic planning to avoid wasting time on trying to develop on protected sites and addressing climate and nature protection through strong policy measures. Clear leadership from the UK Government would avoid the need for most legal challenges. 

Increased resourcing and capacity building for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are also essential measures to improve decision-making quality. Additionally, codifying the ‘duty of candour’ for timely document provision, extending limitation periods for planning judicial reviews and encouraging defendants to concede permission in appropriate cases will help reduce delays. Publishing performance indicators and introducing target timescales in courts will further enhance transparency and efficiency. 

The bottom line is that it isn’t the ability to challenge bad development that is the problem. The majority of nationally significant infrastructure projects are not legally challenged and the majority of those that are challenged are considered to have grounds for being challenged.

Judicial reviews play a critical role in upholding environmental laws and standards. They provide a mechanism for civil society to challenge potentially unlawful decisions affecting the environment and achieve a remedy in the courts. This is particularly important in the context of the climate and nature crises, where the stakes are high and the consequences of poor decision-making are severe. 

To create a sustainable and resilient economy, the Government should put climate action and nature recovery at the heart of the planning system, conduct thorough environmental assessments, enhance public participation, set clear interim targets, ensure transparency in decision-making and strengthen regulatory frameworks. These measures will streamline the planning process, ensure accountability and align developments with environmental objectives, creating win-wins for people and the planet.  

So, to be clear, the UK Government should not expand planet-harming airports, abandon our limited nature protections or stop appropriate legal challenges for genuinely damaging development.  

We know – and there is plenty of evidence to show – that restoring nature and taking bold climate action are the only ways to secure the real foundations of the economy.