Thu, 23 Oct 2025

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 Expansion of airports put climate targets at risk, MPs say

A committee of MPs says the government has not demonstrated if economic benefits from airport expansion outweigh climate impacts.

* A committee of MPs has found that planned airport expansion in the UK could risk the government's net zero goals, which aim to reduce carbon emissions.
* The report states that the government has not demonstrated how the negative climate impact of expansion would be outweighed by economic growth created.
* Airport expansion plans approved by the government include a third runway at London Heathrow and a second runway at Gatwick, which could lead to an extra 100,000 flights per year at Gatwick and up to 276,000 flights per year at Heathrow.
* The report suggests that technological solutions to decarbonise aviation are not yet being used on a commercial scale, making it unlikely that airport expansion would be compatible with the UK's net zero target.
* The government has said that airport expansion plans will only go ahead if they align with climate change obligations, but critics argue that this is not enough to ensure compatibility with net zero goals.
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