Heathrow decision a ‘major breakthrough’ for climate justice

Judgment could finally put climate change at the heart of planning decision, environmental campaigners tell Isabella Kaminski, but plans to appeal the ruling mean the fight isn’t over yet

Thursday 27 February 2020 20:02 GMT
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Britain's Court of Appeal ruled in favour of green campaigners who oppose a third runway at Heathrow airport
Britain's Court of Appeal ruled in favour of green campaigners who oppose a third runway at Heathrow airport

A court judgment that plans to expand Heathrow were made illegally has been branded a “major breakthrough” for efforts to tackle climate change.

Environmental campaigners, the mayor of London and a group of west London councils have fought long and hard against the government’s decision to build a third runway at Heathrow, set out in a national policy statement on aviation in 2018. They argued that expansion would violate the UK’s international climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, increase local air pollution and noise, and harm biodiversity.

Last May, the High Court dismissed all legal challenges, and ruled that the 2015 UN Paris Agreement did not apply directly in UK law. The agreement, which has been signed by nearly 200 countries, aims to keep global warming to “well below” 2C. That requires rapid and significant cuts to carbon emissions across the globe over the next few decades.

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