Archived press release

Heathrow expansion will undermine climate targets

9 January 2009

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon is due to announce the Government's final decision on building a third runway at Heathrow airport later this month.

Friends of the Earth is deeply concerned that the expansion of Heathrow and other British airports will make it extremely difficult for the UK to meet its legal requirement to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The environmental campaign group has produced a briefing outlining the case against expansion [1,2].

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"History will show this is a make or break decision. Aviation is already one of the UK's fastest growing sources of carbon dioxide emissions - Ministers should be curbing the impact of flying, not fuelling it."

"Expanding Heathrow airport would seriously undermine the Government's ability to meet its legal duty to slash UK greenhouse gas emissions - it is baffling that they are even considering it."

"The economic case for Heathrow is fundamentally flawed. If it wasn't for the Government's financial 'sleight of hand' the case for airport expansion would collapse."

"Expansion just isn't needed - London's five airports serve its business and tourism interests far better than those serving any other European city."

"The Government must urgently review its aviation strategy, scrap all of its airport expansion plans and invest in alternatives to short-haul flights such as fast rail travel."

Friends of the Earth believes that:

• expanding Heathrow will significantly increase climate change emissions;
• the Government's economic case for expansion is flawed and that expanding Heathrow is neither of long-term benefit to the UK economy nor necessary for London to remain competitive and accessible;
• expanding Heathrow will have adverse impacts on local communities and will mean air pollution exceeds EU limits [3];
• expanding Heathrow is unjustified when many flights could be replaced by fast rail services.

The green group is calling on the Government to scrap all of its airport expansion plans and urgently bring aviation policy in line with the latest climate science and the requirements of UK climate law.

This means:
• including emissions from international aviation (and shipping) in a post 2012 international climate agreement;
• in the march budget reviving its plan to introduce Aviation Duty - a 'per plane' tax which would cover freight flights and transfer passengers;
• revising its economic appraisal methodology to factor in a more realistic cost of climate change;
• investing in fast rail services and video conferencing to improve low carbon alternatives to flying.

Notes:

1. A full Friends of the Earth briefing on why the Government must say no to expanding Heathrow is available at www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/heathrow_no_to_expansion0.pdf

2. A Friends of the Earth briefing on the history of BAA's broken promises on Heathrow is available at www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/heathrow_broken_promises.pdf

3. Expanding Heathrow will hit hardest people who are already vulnerable to poverty and environmental threats. Government research shows that Black and Minority Ethnic communities and children will suffer adverse effects from noise and air quality http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/heathroweqia/consultationdocument.pdf

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust