What do ClientEarth’s legal cases mean for local authority plans to deliver nitrogen dioxide compliance in England and Wales?

Illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide ("NO2") persist in areas across the UK. Since 2011, ClientEarth has brought three successful legal challenges against the UK Government’s failure to deliver compliance with legal limits of this harmful pollutant and to comply with its obligations under the Ambient Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC (the "Directive"). In each case, the courts have ordered ministers to produce updated or additional plans to tackle illegal levels of pollution.1