Journalist takes government to court over environmental reports

An environmental campaigner is taking the government to the High Court over its refusal to publish reports on the cost of using hydrogen to heat homes. 

Journalist Ben Webster says the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) should have made the reports public without him having to request them.

Webster first asked for the information in August 2023 as part of an investigation into the viability of hydrogen heating, which some scientists have described as a ‘false solution’ promoted by the gas industry. 

DESNZ confirmed it had four reports but refused to release them, claiming they related to decisions that had not yet been made. 

Three were published just before a hearing at the Information Tribunal in June 2025.

The former environment editor at The Times argued regulation 4 of the Environmental Information Regulations requires public authorities to publish relevant information, without members of the public having to ask for it.

‘By hiding key reports on our greatest environmental problems, the government is making it harder for the public to take part in finding and implementing the most effective solutions,’ Webster said.

‘Reports on the interlinked climate and wildlife crises should not be kept secret just because it is politically inconvenient to release them.’

At a permission hearing on 15 October, the High Court allowed the case to proceed to a full judicial review. Webster is represented by Leigh Day solicitors Julia Eriksen and Lily Hartley-Matthews. 

Eriksen said: ‘Regulation 4 of the EIR requires public authorities to proactively make certain environmental information available to the public, without a member of the public having to request it.

‘Our client spent two years chasing DESNZ to publish these reports which concern major environmental policy which may determine the future of how we heat our homes.

‘After receiving the reports, Mr Webster felt it was clear that the information should have been shared proactively as part of the government’s EIR duty.’

Image: mathewbrowne/UnSplash 

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