Government-backed airport expansion plans put the UK's net zero target at “serious risk”, MPs have warned.
Without new guarantees offers for increase airports Heathrow and Gatwick could push the UK beyond its carbon budget, according to a report by the House of Commons cross-party environmental audit committee.
MPs said ministers must determine how they intend to achieve climate, environment and biodiversity targets while pushing for a major airport expansion and before any of the projects go ahead.
Their report says government policies are not sufficient to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector in line with targets. It said demand for air travel is expected to rise, further putting cutback plans at “serious risk”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his chancellor Rachel Reeves approved the airport expansion in a desperate bid for economic growth.
However, the committee said: “The government has not demonstrated that the economic growth from airport expansion provides sufficient benefits to outweigh the negative climate and environmental impacts that it would lead to.”
The report also said ministers had ruled out measures to manage aviation demand, such as limiting the number of flights. MPs also warned that the introduction of clean aviation fuel may not help reduce emissions because it is not yet used or are produced on an industrial scale. Air New Zealand abandoned its 2030 decarbonization target last year. blame difficulties in providing environmentally friendly fuel.
The expansion schemes are expected to begin before the government updates its National Airport Policy Statement, published in 2018. MPs said this meant the government was avoiding control and relying on an “outdated policy framework that is not fit for purpose”.
Toby Perkins, chairman of the Labor Party committee, said: “Achieving our decarbonisation targets is already a major challenge. Expanding airport capacity is likely to make this much more difficult. “Under the Government's existing Jet Zero strategy, expanding airport capacity is likely to put net zero at serious risk if it does not accompanied by a serious strategic approach to accelerating the decarbonization of aviation.”
“Having ruled out demand management measures that could seriously reduce emissions, ministers need to be clear about what alternative tools they are willing to use to ensure targets are met.”
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Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, said: “This is the final nail in the Government's coffin for airport expansion. The Government Oversight Committee has made it clearer than ever that airport growth is a bad option for Britain, and that the Government simply does not have any economic evidence to justify the environmental damage it would cause.”
“The Government must listen to the experts, abandon this reckless airport expansion program and instead invest in the everyday travel that really matters to millions of us.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “The Transport Secretary has launched a review of the National Airports Policy Statement – a significant step in advancing plans for a third runway at the airport. Heathrow Airportthat will drive economic growth and create jobs while delivering on our plan for change. We have been clear that the airport expansion will only proceed if it meets our legal obligations on climate change, including net zero, and we will be seeking advice from the independent climate change committee to inform the review.”
