Heathrow expansion incompatible with climate goals: CCC

The UK's Climate Change Committee said Heathrow Airport's expansion plans are not compatible with the country's legally binding climate goals under current conditions.

The government advisory body said the aviation industry would have to reach net zero emissions by 2050 for the expansion to fit UK targets. Nigel Topping, the committee's chair, said those conditions “do not exist today.”

Heathrow has unveiled a multi-billion-pound expansion plan that includes a third runway. The UK government has reiterated support for the project, while Heathrow says the work would almost double capacity to up to 150 million passengers a year.

The committee said aviation emissions have more than doubled since 1990, while emissions across the UK economy have halved. It said Heathrow is responsible for about half of the aviation industry's emissions.

The UK has a legal target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 87% by 2040 and reach net zero by 2050. The committee proposed an aviation pathway based on a “polluter pays” principle, combining direct emissions cuts with purchases of technologies such as carbon capture.