Greenpeace Threatens Legal Action Against UK Over Failure To Heat Households - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th February, 2023) Greenpeace has threatened legal action against the government of the United Kingdom if it does not review its policy to improve energy efficiency in homes to meet fuel poverty targets and help households with energy bills, UK media reported on Thursday.

Greenpeace is threatening to sue the country's government as it turns out that the goal to lift millions of households out of fuel poverty is unlikely to be achieved. "Fuel poverty" refers to an economic situation in which people cannot afford to heat a household to a comfortable temperature due to the high cost of energy. The UK authorities planned to improve the energy efficiency of homes, in particular, by improving heat insulation in order to reduce citizens' heating costs, The Guardian reported.

"By throwing in the towel on tackling fuel poverty, the government has shackled the poorest people to the coldest homes and the highest bills. Almost a quarter of all households are now in fuel poverty. This is a national crisis, yet the government's failing strategy for tackling it means that, at this rate, it won't meet its legally binding 2030 target until close to the end of the next century," UK's head of climate, Mel Evans, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

According to the National Energy Action charity, about 6.7 million UK households are currently in fuel poverty, media said. In this regard, Greenpeace sent a letter to Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, calling for a policy review to accelerate its implementation, threatening the UK government with legal action, The Guardian said.

In December 2022, Greenpeace also informed the UK government that it will legally challenge its decision to issue additional licenses for gas and oil exploration in the North Sea, arguing this was unlawful under both UK law and its international climate obligations.