More than 100 lawyers, campaigners and others working in the legal sector have signed a letter to the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the risks of departing from the Government’s Net Zero commitments.
The Government has recently offered more than 100 new licences for oil and gas extraction in the North Sea. It also has a continued policy of approving new oil and gas fields, including potentially the disastrous Rosebank oil field.
Scientists, academics, businesses and MPs (including Conservative MPs) have expressed concern that this approach will exceed the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C.
This poses significant risk to the life, health, security and prosperity of the citizens of this country and people around the world.
As lawyers, we are writing to the Prime Minister, to raise our concerns at these risks.
Update: Government Reply and Our Response
On 21 November 2023, we received the following reply from Government Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart:
Read our response to the Minister’s letter:
And finally, read the response we received from Graham Stuart:
Signatories
Caitlin McGivern, Solicitor
Christina Eckes, Legal Academic
Claire Rouse, Solicitor
Ryan Bestford, Solicitor
David Renton, Barrister
Dr Feja Lesniewska, Legal Academic
Jacqueline Alsaid, Legal Academic
Stéphanie Caligara, Lawyer
Santiago Onate Laborde, Legal Academic
Carmen Hall, Paralegal
Harminder Bains, Legal Executive
Olivia Tattarletti, Solicitor (non-practising)
Wendy Pettifer, Solicitor (retired)
Adam Marley, Solicitor
Lucy Wilson, Law Student
Nicola Harries, Solicitor (retired)
Louise Christian, Solicitor (retired)
Joe Hodson, Paralegal
Melinda Janki, Attorney-at-Law
Kevin O’Sullivan, Solicitor
Tom Goodman, Solicitor
Dr Nadia Bernaz, Legal Academic
Sara Teresa Goodwin, Solicitor (retired)
Paul Taylor, Solicitor
Rachel Harger, Solicitor
Clare Finn, Solicitor (retired)
Joanna Bury, Solicitor
Martha Jean Baker, Lawyer (retired)
Patricia Mary Mitchell, Solicitor (retired)
Melanie Strickland, Solicitor
Belinda Brooke, Solicitor
Dr Thomas MacManus, Legal Academic
Emma Rouzane Dauriac, Solicitor
Angela Williamson, Law Student
Alexandra Abrahams, Solicitor
Yves Hayaux du Tilly, Lawyer
Lisa Smith, Solicitor
Tom Fearon, Solicitor
Paul Heron, Solicitor
Poppy Franks, Solicitor
Ishan Deshpande, Solicitor
Jeremy Williams, Solicitor
Rhian Wood, Barrister
Tara Brassil, Senior Lecturer / Solicitor (non-practising)
Romona Harron-Harding, Solicitor
Natasha Maugueret, Solicitor
Ingrid Omli, Solicitor
Clare Rothwell-Hemsted, Legal Advisor
Tessa Khan, Lawyer
Margherita Cornaglia, Barrister
Mohammed Nazeer, Solicitor
Jodie Blackstock, Barrister
Monika Sobiecki, Barrister
Paddy Friend, Law Graduate
Mark Bush, Solicitor
Declan Owens, Solicitor
Lauren Chaplin, Solicitor
Paul Powlesland, Barrister
Natalie Barbosa, Solicitor
Susan Biggs, Solicitor (retired)
Luisa Le Voguer, Law Student
Audrey Cherryl Mogan, Barrister
Emma Bland, Solicitor
Michael Reed, Solicitor
Pia de Keyser, Legal Advisor
Olivia Hamlyn, Legal Academic
Kim Vowden, Solicitor
Angharad Monk, Barrister
Katerina Capras, Solicitor
Roberta Spiteri, Lawyer
Tomas Alarcon, Solicitor / PhD Student
Dr Samantha Velluti, Legal Academic
Esther Stanford-Xosei, Jurisconsult
Lucy O’Brien, Solicitor
Alured Darlington, Solicitor Advocate (retired)
Robyn Reed, Solicitor
Katinka Nessbach, Solicitor (non-practising)
David Lintott, Barrister
Raj Chada, Solicitor
Jeremy Gibb, Tribunal Judge (retired)
Paul Kingsley Clark, Barrister
Robert Frank Atkins, Solicitor
Amias Perry, Law Graduate
Shay Xiao, Solicitor
Louise Hobbs, Solicitor
Tom Bainbridge, Solicitor
Brook Dambacher, Law Graduate
Camilla More, Lawyer
Dr Natalie Jones, Lawyer
Steven Gray, Solicitor
Jennine Walker, Solicitor
Jolyon Maugham KC, Barrister
Marc Willers KC, Barrister
Michael Mansfield KC, Barrister
Matt Hutchings KC, Barrister
Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC, Solicitor
Lucy Neal, OBE
Sangeet Kaur, Legal Entrepreneur, Pro Lawyers ESG
Tim Crosland, former Barrister and Director of Plan B
Aoife Fleming, Legal Coordinator and Campaigner, World’s Youth for Climate Justice
John Firth, Senior Director of the Climate and Resilience Hub, Willis Towers Watson