Advisers warn third runway at Heathrow to breach climate change laws

Plans to expand Heathrow set to breach climate change laws, according to the Committee on Climate Change.

Climate change laws will be breached if Heathrow goes ahead with the business plan to expand the airport with a third runway, which projects a 15% increase in aviation emissions by 2050.

Members of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) say that if the increase is allowed, ministers will have to squeeze deeper emissions cuts from other sectors of the economy. The group also expressed concerns over how the Department for Transport presented its case for expanding the hub in relation to greenhouse gas emissions.

The CCC warn that the proposals could also have a much wider impact on sectors like steel-making, motoring and home heating, if the aviation emissions are allowed to grow.

The government said it was determined to keep to its climate change targets.

The committee also says that in making the decision to allow a third runway at Heathrow, ministers appear to have disregarded their policy that aviation emissions in 2050 would be frozen at 2005 levels.

Its chair, Lord Deben, wrote to the Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark, saying: “If emissions from aviation are now anticipated to be higher than 2005, then all other sectors would have to prepare for correspondingly higher emissions reductions.

“Aviation emissions at 2005 levels already imply an 85% reduction in other sectors. My committee has limited confidence about the options (for achieving the compensatory cuts needed).”

Since 1990, aviation emissions have doubled, while economy-wide emissions have reduced by more than a third.

Ministers make exceptions for aviation, because low-carbon technology for planes is not well advanced.

Under a new new code recently agreed by the aviation industry, the DFT are planning to solve the aviation issue by buying permits from poor countries which have low levels of CO2.

Doug Parr from Greenpeace said the affair showed climate change was still an afterthought from a government pursuing business as usual.

He said: “What ministers know full well but don’t want to admit is that a third runway means other sectors of the economy will have to bear the costs of further carbon cuts – whether it’s regional airports or the manufacturing and steel industries.

“If that’s the plan, it’s time ministers came clean about it with those concerned and the British public.”

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strateg said: “The government agrees with the Airports Commission’s assessment that a new runway at Heathrow can be delivered within the UK’s carbon obligations.

“We are considering how we will continue to reduce our emissions across the economy through the 2020s and will set this out in our emissions reduction plan, which will send an important signal to the markets, businesses and investors.

“Our commitment to meeting our Climate Change Act target of an at least 80% emissions reduction below 1990 levels by 2050 is as strong as ever.”

 

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