Today, we extend our warmest congratulations to Sarah Finch and her colleagues at the Weald Action Group on being awarded the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize for Europe. Sarah’s landmark legal victory is already reshaping climate accountability across the UK and beyond.
What happened?
Sarah Finch, a climate change and environmental activist, led a ground-breaking legal challenge against Surrey County Council’s decision to extend planning permission for an oil drilling site at Horse Hill in Surrey.
The Weald Action Group represented by Sarah Finch argued that the Environmental Impact Assessment (a legal requirement for all expansions or new developments to assess the environmental and climatic impact of the development) failed to include the effects of emissions released from burning the extracted oil, assessing only emissions from the development itself.
What began as a local campaign evolved into a five-year legal battle that climbed through the courts, culminating in a historic ruling by the UK Supreme Court in June 2024 and, crucially, the planning permission being overturned.
What does this ruling mean going forward?
After the judgment Sarah Finch said: “I believe that the Supreme Court’s ruling is a tipping point in the right direction… The days of fossil-fuel applications being waved through without full consideration of their climate impacts are over.”
The significance of this ruling has already been felt. In January 2025, the Scottish Court of Session ruled that the UK government’s approvals for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea were unlawful, citing a failure to consider emissions generated from burning the extracted fuels. The ruling has also been used to overturn coal mine developments in Cumbria.
Howard Wood OBE, 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize winner and COAST-Co-Founder, said: “Over the last three months, it has been an absolute privilege to speak with Sarah about preparing for the upcoming Goldman Prize and find out about the community action she led with her colleagues at the Weald Action Group for nearly a decade. She has shown remarkable persistence in leading this grassroots-inspired legal action through every stage of the British legal system. She is a very worthy recipient of the Goldman Prize 2026 for Europe.”
Her legal victory stands as a powerful example of how determined community-led action can influence national and international policy, strengthen environmental protections, and help reduce the effects of climate change.
Last Updated on 20th April 2026