We've won our case against the government.

Dear John

I can't quite believe I'm writing this email. This morning the Court of Appeal judged the government’s plans for Heathrow expansion to be illegal on climate change grounds.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the most important environmental law cases in this country for over a generation. It’s a landmark win for our legal team. And it shows the massive importance of the legal system to check the clear abuse of state power by government.

With you by our side we’ve been fighting Heathrow expansion for years. I now hope the result is just the jolt the government needs to start putting climate first in its transport policies.

On behalf of everyone here, I want to say: thank you. We couldn't have done it without you – whether you donated, signed petitions, or shared our campaign with friends and family.

Our legal team works hard to make sure the next generation enjoys an environment that's getting better, not worse. And while we'll be celebrating a hard-won victory today, there's always more to do.

We rely on the generous support of people like you to fund our work. So if you haven't already, please consider setting up a monthly gift. Regular income allows us to budget better and, ultimately, helps us win more important cases for the environment.
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Shockingly, this case revealed that the government accepted legal advice that it should not consider the Paris Agreement when giving the third runway the go ahead. The court has said very clearly that ignoring Paris was illegal.

Already, communities in the UK and overseas are suffering from the impacts of climate breakdown. We must stop treating the climate emergency as a hypothetical future – it's here now.

That’s why winning this case is so important. Heathrow is one of the biggest single sources of greenhouse gases in the UK. And airport expansion – at Heathrow or any other airport – simply cannot go ahead if we're to prevent further climate breakdown. 

This judgment also has exciting wider implications for keeping climate change at the heart of all planning decisions. It’s time for developers and public authorities to be held to account when it comes to the climate impact of their damaging projects.

Will you help us hold those in power to account?
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Before I finish, I also want to pay tribute to all the local people and campaign groups who’ve been fighting against the third runway for far longer than I’ve been involved in the case, including the West London Friends of the Earth Groups Network. They’ve been an inspiration to my team, and I hope they’ll be as delighted with this result as I am.

On that note, let's not forget to savour the moment. Today was a victory – not only for us, but for the planet and for future generations too.

Thank you so much,

Will Rundle
Head of Legal

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