Sarah Finch, the campaigner who won a landmark victory on carbon emissions at the Supreme Court earlier this year, has been named by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most innovative leaders driving action on climate change.

Her case, brought on behalf of the Weald Action Group, has had widespread repercussions in the fossil fuel industry.

Today, the judgement led to the rescindment of a planning permission at the Wressle oil site in North Lincolnshire.

A legal challenge based on the judgement got underway today in Edinburgh over consent for development of the Rosebank oil field, off Shetland, and the Jackdaw gas field, off Aberdeen.

The planning permission for a proposed new coalmine in Cumbria has also been quashed.

For nearly five years, Sarah Finch argued in courts that planning permission granted for 20 years of oil production at the Horse Hill site in Surrey was unlawful because the planning authority had failed to consider the climate impact of burning the extracted oil.

A majority of Supreme Court justices agreed with her, clarifying the law on what must be taken into account when decisions are made on fossil fuel proposals. Key messages from the judgement

Sarah Finch said today:

“I am honoured to be included in TIME’s annual list of climate leaders.

“By recognising me, TIME has acknowledged the vital role of grassroots climate campaigners in fighting for a safe future.

“We can’t rely on governments and the UN Climate Summit process to get us there, it’s down to everyday people to take a stand against polluting projects and fight for climate justice.”

Vicki Elcoate, of the Weald Action Group said: 

“We are grateful to Sarah for stepping forward and representing this case – and we are incredibly proud of our successful campaign on Horse Hill which has changed the tide on proposed UK fossil fuel developments. Around the world, thousands of dedicated campaigners like Sarah are making a real impact and all their efforts are essential.”

Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift, said:

“Thanks to Sarah’s tenacious legal campaigning, oil and gas companies can no longer get away with hiding the enormous harm they are doing to our climate from opening new projects. This is vital when ordinary people around the world are already shouldering the enormous burden of extreme weather, and adding more oil and gas drilling will only escalate these costs.

“Her efforts mean politicians and regulators can now, for the first time, make an honest, clear-eyed assessment of the climate pollution from new oil and gas fields. If they still approve them, they will do so knowing the harm they will cause to people’s lives, livelihoods and our natural world. Sarah’s impact – and that of all those at Weald Action Group – should not be understated.”

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