It's Legally OK to Agree to One thing and to Do the Opposite (So Long as You Are Government)

The saga of the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport (near London) continues. A court ruling was obtained by environmentalists, saying the UK government must consider, whether a decision to create another runway, is compatible with its obligations entered into at the Paris Climate Accord. Air travel is a major generator of 'greenhouse gases'. Expanding flights, would make pledging to keep global heating to under 2 degrees Centigrade above pre-Industrial levels, next to impossible. A victory for common sense? Unfortunately, not so. The UK Supreme court have now overturned the ruling. They say major national projects (like airport expansion), can proceed, without any need for government to consider the goals of any agreements they have freely entered into. They can sign up to anything and then simply ignore the consequences! This hardly burnishes the credentials of the people who will be chairing COP26. This Glasgow meeting is seen by many, as our last chance to counter climate change. A letter objecting to UK government position has now been signed by more than 130 scientists, as well as legal and environmental experts (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/30/uk-criticised-for-ignoring-paris-climate-goals-in-infrastructure-decisions). The signatories maintain, you can't get meaningful agreements, when you don't lead by example. Talking the talk without walking the walk? Even worse, the UK government has a track record of ignoring agreements it doesn't like!