A new report from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said the approval of expansion projects at London Gatwick and London Luton, along with Heathrow’s proposed £49 billion third runway, represented a “risky approach” to meeting the UK’s 2050 carbon goals.
The committee urged ministers to introduce new safeguards to ensure airport expansion does not cause the UK to exceed its legally binding carbon budgets. It said the aviation sector still does not fully pay for its carbon emissions, making air travel “artificially cheap” compared with other industries.
The report said: “The government should ensure that the aviation sector pays its fair share towards mitigating its carbon emissions and the benefits it receives in comparison to other sectors. Aviation should be included in emissions trading schemes (ETS) and the government should include the use of sustainable aviation fuels within the ETS.”
The documents also criticised the government for relying heavily on the future success of unproven technologies such as alternative aviation fuels and carbon capture to meet its emissions targets. They said these technologies are not yet produced at “commercial scale”, calling into question whether they can be deployed quickly enough to offset the impact of growing air traffic.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said it remains committed to net zero and that all airport expansion plans must comply with climate obligations.
In a statement, the DfT said: “The transport secretary [Heidi Alexander] has launched the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) – a significant step in advancing plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, which will drive economic growth and create jobs. We have been clear that airport expansion will only go ahead if it aligns with our legal obligations on climate change, including net zero, and we will be seeking advice from the independent Climate Change Committee to inform the ANPS review.”
Clive Wratten, CEO of the Business Travel Association, said achieving the 2050 target was “essential for all aviation development”.
Wratten said: “Increasing flight availability can have a direct positive effect on the UK economy, but this must work alongside robust and accelerated decarbonisation measures to ensure growth aligns with net zero objectives.”
