Environmental Law News Update – Six Pump Court

‘Following judgment on 24 July, the High Court, in an oral hearing, confirmed its decision on papers that ClientEarth, a non-profit environmental law organisation, with a minority shareholding in Shell Plc, a multinational oil and gas company, failed to establish a prima facie case in its derivative claim against Shell’s Directors regarding the company’s climate change risk management strategy.’

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Six Pump Court, 31st July 2023

Source: 6pumpcourt.co.uk

ClientEarth loses high court fight with Shell over climate strategy – The Guardian

Posted July 25th, 2023 in charities, climate change, company directors, energy, news by sally

‘An environmental law charity has lost an attempt to revive a lawsuit against Shell over its climate strategy after the high court in London refused permission to bring a case against the energy company.’

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The Guardian, 24th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge rejects challenge to Surrey Hills oil and gas exploration plans – The Guardian

‘Fossil fuel prospectors have cleared another hurdle on their path to drill for oil and gas near an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) in the Surrey Hills after campaigners lost a judicial review of the plan.’

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The Guardian, 20th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Landmark Sizewell C ruling instructive for projects of all shapes and sizes – OUT-LAW.com

‘The High Court’s ruling that the UK government’s approval of the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power plant was lawful contains valuable reminders on how projects of all shapes and sizes should approach environmental assessments.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 6th July 2023

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Ofgem moves to make new prepayment meter supplier rules compulsory – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2023 in codes of practice, consultations, energy, news by sally

‘The energy regulator has announced a proposal to make new rules brought in to protect struggling prepayment meter customers a compulsory part of suppliers’ licence conditions.’

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The Guardian, 28th June 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Judgment: Commissioners for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs v SSE Generation Ltd [2023] UKSC 17 – UKSC Blog

Posted June 27th, 2023 in corporation tax, energy, news, statutory interpretation, Supreme Court, water by sally

‘In this post, Jack Prytherch, Of Counsel in the Tax Disputes & Investigations team at CMS, comments on the Supreme Court’s decision in HMRC v SSE Generation Ltd [2023] UKSC 17, which was handed down on 17 May 2023. The issue before the Supreme Court was the extent to which SSE Generation Ltd (“SSE”) was entitled to claim capital allowances on expenditure incurred when constructing the hydro-electric power station at Glendoe, Fort Augustus in Scotland (the “Glendoe Scheme”). The CMS Tax Disputes & Investigations team was pleased to have advised SSE on this case. Counsel for SSE were Jonathan Peacock KC and Michael Ripley.’

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UKSC Blog, 27th June 2023

Source: ukscblog.com

Watchdog bans Shell’s ‘misleading’ low-carbon ads – The Independent

‘Shell omitted any mention that oil and gas continued to make up the “vast majority” of its business, the Advertising Standards Authority said.’

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The Independent, 6th June 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New Judgment: Commissioners for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs v SSE Generation Ltd [2023] UKSC 17 – UKSC Blog

‘SSE Generation Ltd, the respondent, claimed capital allowances on expenditure incurred when constructing a hydro-electric power station at Glendoe, Fort Augustus in Scotland. Such allowances may be deducted from income for the purpose of calculating a company’s trading profits subject to corporation tax. Commissioners for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (“HMRC”) disputed certain allowances claimed by SSE for tax years 31 March 2006 to 31 March 2012 on the basis that in their view certain relevant assets did not give rise to allowable expenditure under the Capital Allowances Act 2001 (the “Act”).’

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UKSC Blog, 17th May 2023

Source: ukscblog.com

Ofgem orders three energy firms to pay £8m compensation over late bills – The Guardian

Posted May 18th, 2023 in compensation, consumer protection, delay, energy, fines, news by sally

‘Three energy suppliers have been made to pay compensation totalling £8m for failing to supply a final bill on time to more than 100,000 households that had switched provider.’

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The Guardian, 17th May 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Energy firms to ban forced prepay meter installations in homes of over-85s – The Guardian

Posted April 18th, 2023 in codes of practice, elderly, energy, news by sally

‘Energy suppliers have agreed to a ban on forcibly installing prepayment meters in the homes of customers over 85 and will make representatives wear body cameras as part of a new code of conduct, the Guardian can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 17th April 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Entering properties to fit a prepayment meter – what test should the Magistrates apply when granting a warrant? – No. 5 Chambers

Posted April 14th, 2023 in chambers articles, energy, magistrates, news, warrants by sally

‘Under the legislation there is no automatic right for an affected party to apply to the magistrates to apply to stay or adjourn the execution of the warrant.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 29th March 2023

Source: www.no5.com

Plans for gas drilling in Surrey Hills to face judicial review – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2023 in energy, government departments, inquiries, judicial review, miners, news, planning by sally

‘Plans to drill for gas in the Surrey Hills will be put under judicial review and could be stopped, after local campaigners took the government to the high court.’

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The Guardian, 2nd March 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Shell directors personally sued over ‘flawed’ climate strategy – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2023 in climate change, company directors, company law, energy, news by sally

‘The directors of oil major Shell are being personally sued over their climate strategy, which the claimants say is inadequate to meet climate targets and puts the company at risk as the world switches to clean energy.’

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The Guardian, 9th February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Wood burners in effect banned in new and refurbished homes in London – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2023 in energy, housing, local government, London, news, planning, pollution by sally

‘Wood burners have been in effect banned in new and refurbished buildings in London. New planning guidance announced by the mayor sets air pollution limits for home and office developments that would not be met if burners for wood or other solid fuels were installed.’

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The Guardian, 8th February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prepayment meters: Magistrates told to stop allowing forced installations – BBC News

Posted February 7th, 2023 in bailiffs, energy, magistrates, news, utilities by sally

‘Magistrates courts in England and Wales are to stop hearing and ruling on applications from energy firms to forcibly install prepayment meters with immediate effect.’

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BBC News, 6th February 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Log burner rule change in England could land users with £300 fines – BBC News

Posted February 2nd, 2023 in energy, fines, news, pollution by sally

‘Households in England face fines of up to £300 and even criminal records if they flout new log burner rules.’

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BBC News, 1st February 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Good enough for jazz: how well does the government need to understand its Paris Agreement obligations? A case of emissions and omissions – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In R (Friends of the Earth Ltd) v Secretary of State for International Trade/UK Export Finance (UKEF) [2023] EWCA Civ 14, the Court of Appeal considered the implications of the Paris Agreement on climate change for governmental decision-making in relation to investing in a liquified natural gas project in Mozambique (the “Project”). Sir Geoffrey Vos MR, with whom Lord Justice Bean and Sir Keith Lindblom SPT agreed, dismissed Friends of the Earth’s appeal against the Divisional Court’s decision to dismiss their application for judicial review.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 24th January 2023

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Energy suppliers to be investigated over Britons forced on to prepayment meters – The Guardian

Posted January 23rd, 2023 in consumer protection, energy, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘Energy companies are to be investigated by the regulator Ofgem after the number of households struggling with their bills being forced on to prepayment meters has increased sharply. Ofgem could consider taking legal action if it determines that the rise in the number of homes being forced on to prepayment meters is proven to show companies are not taking proper due care of vulnerable households.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Call to end forced installation of UK prepayment meters after millions suffer without power – The Guardian

Posted January 12th, 2023 in debts, elderly, energy, news, utilities by sally

‘Ministers are being urged to stop the forced installation of prepayment meters after revelations that 3.2 million people – the equivalent of one person every 10 seconds – were left with cold and dark homes last year as they ran out of credit.’

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The Guardian, 11th January 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

MPs call for ban on forced installations of prepayment meters – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2022 in elderly, energy, news by sally

‘MPs have called for a ban on forced installations of prepayment meters amid fears that elderly and vulnerable people are being effectively cut off from heating and power supplies.’

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The Guardian, 19th December 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com