Heathrow: Campaigners warn against "more polluting runways"

As the window for submission of expansion plans for Heathrow Airport draws to a close this evening, the Prime Minister has indicated that he's willing to do 'whatever it takes' to get 'spades in the ground'.

Responding to this, Tony Bosworth, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

"If Keir Starmer wants to be seen as a climate leader, backing Heathrow expansion with ‘whatever it takes’ is the wrong move. A third runway raises serious, unanswered questions about how it fits with the UK’s climate commitments.

“The scale of growth it would generate is uncertain, and meeting climate targets would rely heavily on expensive, unproven technologies. What is certain is that expanding Heathrow and other UK airports would drive up emissions, worsen air and noise pollution, and blight local communities.

“The UK’s green sector was the fastest-growing part of our economy last year. If the Prime Minister wants real, sustainable growth, he should champion investment in renewable energy, home insulation, public transport, green steel and clean energy storage – not more polluting runways.

“The government must commit to a fully transparent and democratic decision-making process, consulting all interested parties. But ultimately, it’s hard to see how Heathrow expansion can go ahead without our legally-binding climate targets being missed."

ENDS