“I'm taking the government to court. This is bonkers.” In 2021, environmental engineer and the founder of Fighting Dirty, Georgia Elliott-Smith, did something almost no private citizen had done before: she took the UK government to the High Court over its Emissions Trading Scheme – and won. The landmark ruling established that near-term government policy must account for the Paris Agreement, a precedent described as the most significant regulatory intervention to the UK waste industry in a generation.
In episode one of Season Three, Climate Humans: The Policy Edition, Elliott-Smith speaks to host Mauricio Porras about the reality of citizen-led legal action, the unglamorous persistence it demands, and what her case might mean for environmental accountability elsewhere in the world.
Learn more about Fighting Dirty.
Climate Humans is brought to you by HERO, the platform for people-powered climate solutions. Produced by Josie Colter. Edited by Ben Beheshty. Hosted by Mauricio Porras.
Timestamps
00:10 Welcome to Climate Humans Season Three: The Policy Edition + today’s guest
02:26 Quickfire warm-up: elevator pitch, comfort food & court theme song
05:56 Advice that fuels the work: “Don’t let lack of money stop you”
07:07 The 2019 wake-up call: when sustainability work stopped feeling enough
10:17 Meaningful change vs. “fiddling while Rome burns”
11:13 Greenwashing from the inside: how ESG language gets gamed
13:36 From consultant to activist: joining Extinction Rebellion & dropping the ego
15:47 The incinerator turning point: re-reading the science and changing sides
17:13 Go after the system: law, policy, finance – and the legal challenge begins
18:20 Crowdfunding courage: community support and the long-run win
19:21 How legal action forces change: disclosures, consultation, and rewriting the rules
21:05 ‘The Queen vs Me’: Seeing your name up against the government!
22:13 Why Elliott-Smith founded Fighting Dirty (and the legal dream team behind it)
23:22 Carrot vs Stick: Why law beats voluntary corporate sustainability
27:25 Fundraising without burning out: community, kindness & chocolate
31:20 Case study: The UK waste tyre scandal and the ‘one-two punch’ strategy
36:54 What’s next: PFAS, waste & holding iIndividuals accountable
38:41 The Future Elliott-Smith is fighting for & final thanks
