Heathrow expansion threatens UK climate targets, report finds

A new report suggests that constructing a third runway at Heathrow Airport would cause the United Kingdom to overshoot its legally binding climate targets. The modelling, published by the University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and commissioned by Friends of the Earth, indicates that the UK aviation industry is already projected to exceed limits in the seventh carbon budget, which is part of the national strategy to reach net zero by 2050.

The proposed £33 billion expansion aims to increase Heathrow’s capacity to 150 million passengers annually. While the UK Government has described the project as “critical to national growth,” the plans face opposition from climate experts and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Researchers noted that existing aviation scenarios published by the government already exceed legislated carbon budgets before the third runway is even considered. The report also highlighted that sustainable aviation fuels and carbon removal technologies currently lack the evidence required to support the scale of expansion envisioned by the government.