Airport expansion tests 'too weak to protect our climate'
The new revised tests set by the government today for assessing Heathrow expansion are too weak to protect the climate, warns Friends of the Earth.
The revised tests were published as part of the government’s public consultation on the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) launched today, which will determine the future of the airport’s expansion.
The environmental justice campaigners say Heathrow expansion should not be allowed if it:
- Threatens the UK’s legally binding climate targets, taking into account all other approved and projected airport expansions, as well as the full climate impact of aviation emissions, including non-CO₂ effects
- Unacceptably worsens noise pollution
- Breaches the latest health-based World Health Organization air quality standards, which are tougher than the UK’s legal standards
- Does not deliver clear economic benefits for all regions of the UK
Responding to the launch of the consultation, Jenny Bates, transport campaigner, at Friends of the Earth:
"Ministers have repeatedly promised that Heathrow expansion will only proceed if it meets their four key tests. But the standards announced today are just too weak to protect our climate.
“Friends of the Earth has proposed clear, robust criteria based on the latest science and health standards to protect people and the planet, but it’s hard to see how a third runway could meet them.
“Amid an escalating climate crisis, airport expansion is the last thing the government should be pursuing - and there’s a particular irony to announcing this consultation on Clean Air Day.
“This consultation is a critical opportunity for the public to make their voice heard, and we’re here to hold the megaphone.”
ENDS
Notes
- For more information about Friends of the Earth, Aviation Environment Federation, Possible, No Third Runway and Safe Landing’s proposed four tests for airport expansion, please visit Friends of the Earth’s website.