National Highways is ignoring Net Zero targets and the latest IPCC report

It seems that National Highways (formerly Highways England) think the UK’s Net Zero laws and carbon targets do not apply to them, and they are pressing ahead with their plans to expand the A38 in Derby despite the scheme emitting hundreds of thousands of tons of greenhouse gases. 

We urgently need to raise more funds to hire legal experts to stop this environmentally damaging and polluting road scheme for good!

Please help by donating to and / or sharing this link to our new Crowd Justice fundraiser: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-the-a38-road-expansion-for-good/ 

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported for our campaign to stop the A38 expansion. Because of your help, we were able to successfully halt the A38 expansion with a legal challenge last year, and the development consent order (DCO) was quashed by the Courts and continue to challenge National Highways attempts to push this scheme through. 

The latest IPCC report stated that any further delay in global action to cut carbon pollution “will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.” 

Yet National Highways are trying to claim that Net Zero carbon targets do not apply to their polluting and destructive road building. They believe they are above the law and are trying to cheat the laws of physics. Their disregard for carbon emissions, pollution and the destruction of nature that their roads cause shows that they just do not care. They are sacrificing our children's futures for more tarmac and traffic. 

Road traffic miles must be reduced to meet climate targets (electric vehicles won't be enough) so the UK Government should be heavily investing in public transport and active travel. Yet instead they are wasting billions on new roads and road expansions which will increase traffic and carbon pollution. 

Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, has asked for information from both National Highways and "interested parties" (such as our campaign group) to submit evidence so that he can consider granting another development consent order to allow the A38 expansion to go ahead. 

We submitted representations in October 2021 and we are currently challenging the Secretary of State's decision-making process via the planning inspectorate website. 

We continue to argue that we are in a climate and ecological emergency and that wasting £250 million on widening a road that will fell thousands of trees, remove large amounts of precious wildlife habitat and increase traffic makes absolutely no sense and is unlawful. It’s also an insulting waste of public money during a cost of living crisis!

The carbon costs of the scheme have increased, which requires the benefit/cost ratio to be revaluated. Yet National Highways have failed to do this.  They've also failed to properly explain how they have assessed the cumulative carbon impacts of the scheme – these were the grounds they conceded on in our original legal challenge in 2021.

With the net zero strategy's carbon targets we have a strong argument to stop the A38 expansion. We can win. However, we need to hire legal experts again to help us form and present these arguments. We need to raise £7,500 (we have already raised over £5,000).

Please help by donating to and / or sharing this link: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-the-a38-road-expansion-for-good/

Many other groups campaigning against road schemes and harmful development plans are watching the A38 Derby Junctions road scheme closely. Our legal challenge has already inspired other climate-related legal challenges and is forcing developers to properly consider climate impacts and the law. If we are successful, we could prevent even more carbon pollution and nature destruction and force the Government to take climate action seriously. 

Please donate if you can. Your donation, no matter how small, will help us put a stop to the destructive A38 expansion for good. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing the link with your friends, family and on your social media. 

We are so grateful for your support.

Thank you.