In 2008 Friends of the Earth helped the UK parliament make history
Following a successful campaign by led Friends of the Earth called The Big Ask, the UK government introduced the Climate Change Act 2008.
It was a groundbreaking law which made the UK the first ever country to set legally binding targets to cut carbon emissions.
The Act set a blueprint for global climate legislation. Since 2008, 33 countries have included an emissions reduction target in law.
The Act was backed by politicians, celebrities and our supporters
Nearly 200,000 people contacted their MP to ask them to support the Climate Change Act. Our Friends of the Earth local action groups up and down the country swung into action – organising events and activities to raise awareness and support for The Big Ask campaign. And Radiohead's Thom Yorke joined us to launch it.
More than 1,000 people turned up to The Big Ask Live, a gig organised by Friends of the Earth in support of the campaign. Headline music acts such as Radiohead and Razorlight, and acting luminaries including Jude Law and Gillian Anderson, helped push the issue into the mainstream.
Ed Miliband, who was the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, oversaw the introduction of the Climate Change Act. The Act received cross-party support, including backing from then opposition leader David Cameron. Ed Miliband also announced that the Act would legally required an 80% cut overall in six greenhouse gases by 2050.
The law gave the UK 3 new arrows to hit climate targets
The Act established climate targets and formally set them into law. This eventually led to the commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, as well as carbon budgets that limit emissions along the way.
The Act established the Climate Change Committee to advise the government. The committee recommends what all the climate targets should be, publishes reports that monitor the government’s progress and gives policy advice.
The Act compelled the UK government to publish a climate plan every 5 years. This plan can be legally challenged if it fails to properly set out how it'll achieve those targets. Friends of the Earth defeated the last 2 plans in court for breaching the Act.
A turning point in the UK's fight against climate breakdown
Our campaign to secure the Climate Change Act was a remarkable political achievement. But what was the impact?
The Act led to major policy shifts such as phasing out coal, boosting renewable energy and helping the UK cut emissions. Here are just some of the key achievements:
- Progress on reducing emissions: our new analysis reveals that from 2008 to 2023, UK emissions dropped by 41%, compared to only 16% in the 15 years before.
- Cross-party support: almost 200,000 people asked their MPs to back the Act. And it worked: 412 MPs signed an Early Day Motion in support of the legislation. No parliamentary petition since has received as much support.
- Positioning UK as an industry leader: the success of the Climate Change Act was a launchpad for the government’s climate diplomacy and boosted the UK’s reputation as a climate leader.
Holding the government to account
Recently, the government's words around climate action have been promising, but it’s up to us to ensure they follow through with real, credible plans and action. The Act is powerful as it creates a framework in which action can and must be taken by the government.
Most significantly, the Act can be enforced through our court system if the government doesn’t comply with its legal duties. This is something we’ve proved through our pioneering Net Zero Strategy legal case. The Act also obliged the government to plan for adapting to the impacts of climate breakdown, for example protecting us from coastal erosion by building flood defences and sea walls.
The Climate Change Act may have been established in 2008, but it continues to influence climate policy today.
16 years on from the introduction of the Climate Change Act, our new report outlines what it’s achieved so far and how its legacy is under threat.
Is the legacy of the Act in jeopardy?
The last government's plans to actually meet the targets set out by the Act were found to be unlawful. We know because we’ve exposed the government in court over their inadequate plans. Twice. The judge has ordered a new climate plan by May 2025.
The government now has a choice. If it sets out an inadequate plan, the UK will stay off track to hit its climate targets. But a strong plan would help to restore the UK’s climate leadership, inspire global climate action and improve people’s lives both in the here and now, and for future generations to come.
Climate at a crossroads
Thanks to our successful legal challenges under the Act, the government must produce a new climate plan by May 2025. The path the government decides to take will determine our future. What's at stake?
Tell Keir Starmer to step up for a Big Climate Plan now
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