UK airport expansion plans set to compromise climate targets

29 January 2025

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has today confirmed that the
government backs a third runway for Heathrow Airport in plans that will lock significant emissions into the UK’s future and heap further pressure on the capacity to meet the country’s climate targets.

In its most recent progress report the Climate Change Committee assessed that less than a quarter of the emissions reductions required to meet the UK’s sixth carbon budget were backed by credible plans.

According to a recent report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), approving the expansion of all three airports would wipe out the benefit of the government’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) within five years of operation at expanded capacity. NEF analysis suggests that Expansion of Luton and Gatwick airports would wipe out the climate benefit of the CPP by 2050.

The CPP sits at the heart of the government’s climate ambitions and analysis suggests that successful delivery of the plan by 2030 could avoid between 46m and 65m tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2). The evidence from the Climate Change Committee has been unequivocal that airport expansion on this scale only puts the UK further off track to meeting its legally binding climate targets.

Last year, the High Court found the UK government’s inadequate climate strategy to be unlawful.

In response to the decision, ClientEarth’s Head of UK Kyle Lischak said:

“UK government policy is already far off track from meeting the country’s legally binding climate targets and approving these expansions will only lock-in more emissions and make the task more difficult. The government’s pathway to a thriving UK economy should focus on building a clean, net zero economy rather than enabling airport expansions that increase carbon emissions.

“The government has suggested that so-called sustainable aviation fuel and electric battery planes will avoid the negative climate impacts of these expansions – that is simply not plausible and a further example of the government relying on unproven and high-risk solutions at the expense of more credible and truly sustainable approaches.

“In addition to the climate impact, airport expansions can have negative impacts on air quality and noise pollution as well as taking up significant resources and funding.”