Tim Nicholson environmentalism case settled

Tim Nicholson, the senior executive and environmentalist who last year won the right to sue his employer for discrimination on the grounds of his beliefs about climate change, has now settled the case out of court, it has been reported.  

Tim Nicholson was Head of Sustainability at Grainger Plc until he was made redundant in July 2008. He claimed that one of the reasons for his redundancy was his strong views on the environment and climate change which placed him at odds with the company’s hierarchy.   

Although Grainger Plc originally applied for Mr Nicholson’s claim under the Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations to be struck out, an Appeal Tribunal found political belief could also be a philosophical belief.

The judgment said:  

“If a person can establish that he holds a philosophical belief which is based on science… then there is no reason to disqualify it from protection by the Regulations.”

The judge ruled that:

“A belief in man-made climate change, and the alleged resulting moral imperatives, is capable, if genuinely held, of being a philosophical belief for the purpose of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations.” 

Shah Qureshi, Mr Nicholson’s solicitor, has now issued an agreed statement which said:

“Grainger plc and Mr Tim Nicholson are pleased to confirm that the tribunal proceedings between the two parties have been resolved amicably. In proceedings last year Mr Nicholson established the principle that a belief in the dangers of climate change was capable of being protected under the religious discrimination and philosophical belief regulations.

"He is pleased to have created an important point of law to support those individuals, like him, who hold a strong belief in the urgent need to combat climate change.

"Grainger plc and Mr Tim Nicholson are pleased to have reached a sensible agreement to avoid the costs and time of a ten-day hearing due to take place in April.

"Mr Nicholson has been pursuing new opportunities since his employment with Grainger plc ended in 2008 and Grainger extends its best wishes to him in his future career."