Victory on third runway

Campaigners have been celebrating after the High Court rejected the government’s case for a third runway at Heathrow airport. The High Court ruled that the ministers’ decision to give the go-ahead to a third runway at the airport does not hold any weight in view of the Climate change Act of 2008. The judge dismissed the government’s claims to the contrary as “untenable in law and common sense”. The Government must now return to the drawing board if they want to pursue plans for an airport expansion and reconsider their entire proposal.

The ruling has implications for all future airport expansion plans as Lord Justice Carnwath ruled that the 2003 Air Transport White Paper – the foundation of expansion plans across the country – is obsolete because it is inconsistent with the Climate Change Act 2008.

David Nussbaum, CEO of WWF-UK, who were involved in the case said: “We are delighted with today’s judgement. It deals a body blow to the third runway, but more than that it makes it clear that the government’s whole policy of airport expansion must be reviewed in order to bring it into line with the Climate Change Act.

“Today’s landmark ruling has implications that could resonate far wider than the aviation sector. For a judge to tell the government that it cannot build huge pieces of carbon-intensive infrastructure without considering the long-term consequences is a resounding win in the fight to tackle climate change. It is also a further indication of the need for the UK to make a swift transition to a low-carbon economy.

“WWF would now urge the government to focus on green investment, encouraging alternative ways of connecting with people wherever possible, such as high-speed rail and videoconferencing, rather than relying on carbon-heavy methods such as flying.” Read more…