Tide is turning on Heathrow expansion

THE Supreme Court ruling on Heathrow expansion has put the spotlight on issues such as the Government’s new plan, in the build-up to hosting the COP26 UN Climate Change conference in November 2021, for a target of 68% reduction in CO2 by 2030, and it’s “levelling-up” agenda for Midland and Northern regions.

Heathrow conveniently omits the CO2 and noxious gases generated by existing aircraft and an extra 700 planes a day, from its expansion plans, which will put into serious doubt their ability to meet Net Zero emissions targets.

Further, the Government’s own Climate Change Committee recently outlined that emissions from aviation must reduce by 80% by 2035 and that expansion at Heathrow would require constraint at, or closing, regional airports.

They estimate that bio and sustainable synthetic fuels for aviation will only make up to 50% by 2050.

The Supreme Court confirmed that any Heathrow planning application would need to meet these laws in order to obtain planning approval.

We must urgently develop a more responsible ‘national’ aviation policy, not just about Heathrow, and within the framework of the Government’s new climate and ‘levelling-up’ objectives.

Heathrow should stop wasting huge amounts of public money and effort pursuing its dead cause for expansion.

The pandemic has prompted a reassessment of priorities not to live by past standards. Let’s use the opportunity to grow back better. Paul Groves

Via email