Rishi Sunak and the government are set to reject official recommendations to halt airport expansion. Credit: Stéphane Rousseau/PA
Rishi Sunak will stand up to government climate advisers over demands for ministers to stop airport expansion, reports The Telegraph.
This is one of the prime minister's most significant moves in the quest to move closer to net zero in «Proportionately and pragmatically» the government will reject the Climate Change Committee's (CCC) official recommendation that all airport expansions should be halted.
The move comes days after Mr. Sunak appointed Claire Coutinho, one of his closest political associates, as Net Zero secretary amid growing backlash among Conservative MPs over the government's climate policy and the costs they add to consumer accounts.
< p>Ministers believe that the growth of airports will play a «key role» in strengthening the UK's global connections and boosting the economy.
Bristol and Southampton airports are among those gearing up to significantly expand their capacity after legal action against their expansion failed, while London's Gatwick, City and Heathrow airports are also looking to embark on major expansion projects .
In other countries of the world. , new international airports are being built in cities like Mumbai, and major expansions are being considered in Dubai and Sydney.
Number of runways at the world's busiest airports
CCC was created under the Climate Change Act 2008 to hold the government accountable for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and its last five-year carbon budget was passed by Boris Johnson in 2021.
< p>Rejecting his recommendations would put the government in a serious legal showdown with environmental groups. Last year, a High Court decision said the CCC's recommendations should be given «considerable weight.» Groups like Greenpeace plan to invoke the committee's latest recommendation in lawsuits against further airport expansion.
But a Department of Transportation spokesman told The Telegraph: “The growth of airports and the aviation sector as a whole is playing a key role in expanding our global connectivity and boosting the economy. We continue to support airport expansion where it can be implemented in a sustainable manner.”
Ministers look forward to the rapid development of cleaner aviation fuel to decarbonize the sector. This week, Ms. Coutinho will present the government's proposed legal duty to develop plans to subsidize so-called sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The government's approach will put pressure on Labor to take a stand on the issue. problem.
Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, told The Telegraph last week she would do «everything possible» to attract investment to the UK.
Heathrow is in the process of reviewing plans for a third flight a runway that Labor had previously said had failed the «four tests» for the airport expansion.
But a Heathrow spokesman said: «We have always made it clear that the expansion will be carried out within strict environmental targets, including carbon emissions, minimization of noise and local environmental impact, thus meeting Labour's four tests.»
“We are confident that the Heathrow Plans and the aviation industry roadmap provide a solid path to zero flights by 2050.
“Increasing the capacity of the UK’s only hub will benefit the whole of the UK, create jobs, increase British exports and fulfill the country’s global ambitions.”
The CCC's decision to issue a formal recommendation against further expansion came at one of the last meetings chaired by Lord Deben — the former John Gummer — before he stepped down from the body this summer.
The Committee was disappointed that plans to expand airports across the country were continuing despite its warnings that net airport growth was inconsistent with the country's target of net zero.
0907 Cost of net zero
It has now stated that there should be no further expansion of airports until a «capacity management» system is in place to control further growth.
At this stage, he recommended that expansions that «would contribute to an increase in demand for aviation» should only be carried out if there was a «corresponding reduction in capacity» at other airports.
< p>Roughly speaking, this could mean shutting down the Stansted airport counterpart in order to accommodate the proposed expansion of Gatwick's capacity from 46.5 million passengers in 2019 to 75 million passengers per year by the end of the 2030s.
Government has already set itself the goal of achieving zero emissions in the UK aviation industry by 2050.
Ministers believe they can achieve this goal by encouraging the rapid development of technologies such as SAF, which are much lower in carbon emissions than conventional aviation fuel.
This week, the government will make a legal commitment to consult on proposals to subsidize SAF producers. Ms. Coutinho's amendment to the energy bill states that she «should hold public consultations on options for developing and implementing a sustainable jet fuel revenue guarantee scheme.»
This clause obliges the government to begin consultations within six months of the bill becoming law.
This clause follows the campaign led by Chris Grayling, former Transportation Secretary, for government action. encourage fuel companies to produce more SAF.
According to Mr. Grayling's proposals, the government will guarantee agreed set prices for clean aviation fuel, similar to the subsidy schemes used for wind farms.
Ms. Coutinho is also preparing give up their positions. scandal over the ban on oil boilers.
The moves come after Mr. Sunak promised in an interview with The Telegraph in July that he would take a «proportional and pragmatic» approach to achieving zero net profits, amid statements by Conservative MPs that government plans risk penalizing consumers. and enterprises.
The Prime Minister also announced a review of controversial anti-car schemes across the UK.
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