MPs warn against airport expansions

MPs get "no substantial evidence" that expanding airports will lead to economic growth but the additional greenhouse gases could put our climate obligations "in serious jeopardy".

On Friday, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) published an important report. It looks at whether continuously expanding airports is compatible with cutting aviation emissions to net zero. The answer is a clear NO. The EAC warned that proceeding with airport expansions could put net zero delivery in “serious jeopardy”.

The MPs also investigated the government’s claims that expansion is good for growth. This is what the report says: “The Aviation Minister… when appearing before the Committee, could not direct us to any substantial economic analysis that supports the government’s claim that airport expansion would lead to growth”.

The EAC is a ‘cross party’ group of MPs who examine the implications of government policies for the environment.

The Committee chair, Toby Perkins MP, said: “Meeting our decarbonisation targets is already a major challenge. Expanding airport capacity is likely to make that task much harder. Under the government’s existing Jet Zero Strategy, expanding airport capacity is likely to put net zero at serious risk, unless it is accompanied by a serious strategic approach to increasing the pace of decarbonising aviation.”

He added: “This problem can’t simply be outsourced to industry; the scale of the challenge is too great and only government has access to some of the tools needed. It’s time for the government to step up and take responsibility for its own targets. I’m concerned that the alternative is a lose-lose scenario that leaves a dynamic net zero economy out on the runway.”

The full report, Airport expansion and climate and nature targets, is available here.

GALBA’s submission to the inquiry is available here.