Third Heathrow runway should only go ahead if airlines pay for cleaner flying, say advisers

The government’s advisers have declared that Heathrow Airport’s proposed third runway cannot proceed without modifications to current climate policies. According to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), an external advisory body, the expansion could move forward only if the aviation sector takes financial responsibility for cleaner fuels and invests in technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This approach is intended to align the project with the UK’s net zero emissions targets.

The CCC warns that making the aviation industry cover these costs will likely lead to increased airfare prices. For example, a round trip to Alicante might cost around £150 more by 2050, while a return flight to New York could rise by approximately £400 when measured in today’s money. Despite these concerns, Heathrow insists that expanding the airport and meeting climate objectives should not be seen as mutually exclusive and that both goals can be achieved simultaneously.

Nigel Topping, chair of the CCC, emphasized the current incompatibility of Heathrow’s expansion with the UK’s net zero ambitions: “Our advice today is clear – Heathrow expansion is not currently compatible with the UK’s Net Zero target.” He further stated that government intervention is necessary to ensure that the aviation industry assumes responsibility for its emissions and the financial burden of decarbonization, conditions which the committee says are not presently in place. While the CCC cannot prevent construction, it urges policymakers to enact laws requiring the industry to actively manage aviation’s environmental impacts in the long term.

The government is now reviewing the committee’s advice, along with responses from a public consultation assessing expansion on economic, environmental, air quality, and noise grounds. The final decision will come through a vote in the House of Commons anticipated later this year. The costly £33 billion expansion project is designed to increase Heathrow’s passenger capacity from 85 million to 150 million annually. A spokesperson from the Department for Transport (DfT) acknowledged that any development must comply with national climate targets, while also highlighting the potential economic benefits, including a forecasted £40 billion boost to the economy and support for up to 60,000 jobs in the local area.

Researchers, however, remain divided on the committee’s recommendations. Dr. Lois Pennington from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research told the BBC that reliance on cleaner fuels and carbon removal technologies may not be sufficient at the necessary scale. She argued that the only dependable strategy to keep within the UK’s carbon budgets is to halt or even reduce aviation expansion. She shared, “We need to make sure that we are not flying more than we are now.”

Despite the committee’s caution, government officials appear determined to move forward. Responding to opposition queries, Chancellor John Healey commented, “After years of delay, years of indecision, years of often vexatious challenge, we have given the go-ahead to this project quite simply because the economic case stacks up and will help bring growth.” Nonetheless, British lawmakers still require a formal vote to approve Heathrow’s expansion framework.

Opposition to the scheme remains strong among various political figures and local communities. Before taking office, Prime Minister Andy Burnham objected to the third runway, worry that investment would be concentrated in London and the South East at the expense of northern regions. Likewise, London’s Mayor, Lord Sadiq Khan, has voiced concerns regarding both the runway’s climate impact and noise pollution. Many residents and councils also resist the proposal, especially considering the plan would necessitate demolishing approximately 750 homes beneath the flight path, exacerbating longstanding worries about noise and air quality

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