Airport expansion and climate and nature targets

Environmental Audit Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 28 Mar 2025 Parliament page
The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on airport expansion and climate and nature targets. In this inquiry the Committee is seeking to: establish the climate and environmental targets which Ministers ought to ensure are met under its policy to support airport expansion; examine current projections for aviation demand, … Read more
17 Recommendations
12 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
3 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 11 events
20 May
2026
Correspondence
11 Mar
2026
Correspondence
22 Jan
2026
Correspondence
12 Jan
2026
Report published
24 Oct
2025
Report published
16 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
16 Jul
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
18 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
18 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
14 May
2025
Oral evidence
14 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
16 Jul 2025
View on parliament.uk
Panel 1; Panel 2
David Silk · Department for Transport Dr Pauleen Lane CBE · Planning Inspectorate Hannah Newell · Department for Transport Ian Thynne · Hillingdon Council Mike Kane MP · Department for Transport Peta Donkin · National Infrastructure Planning Association Sonia Krylova · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
18 Jun 2025
View on parliament.uk
Panel 1; Panel 2
Andrew Meaney · Oxera Dr Alex Chapman · New Economics Foundation Dr Stuart Jenkins · University of Oxford Duncan McCourt · Sustainable Aviation Matthew Gorman MBE · Heathrow Neil Robinson · Manchester Airports Group
14 May 2025
View on parliament.uk
Panel 1; Panel 2
Alethea Warrington · Possible Celeste Hicks · Aviation Environment Federation Dr Lisa Lavia · Noise Abatement Society Johann Beckford · Green Alliance Paul Beckford · No 3rd Runway Coalition Professor Rob Miller · Whittle Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Title HC No. Published Items Response
5th Report - Airport expansion and climate and nature targets HC 831 24 Oct 2025 29 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
8 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Airport expansion and…
Airport expansion hinders air quality targets; ANPS fails to account for pollution impact.
Whilst air pollution around Heathrow has reduced in recent years due to cleaner aircraft and road vehicles, airport expansion will make it harder for Governments, both national and local, to deliver on air quality targets. The Airports National Policy Statement … Read more
Government Response
The government stated that as part of the ANPS review, DfT is considering how air quality tests for Heathrow expansion should be set, reviewing changes in legislation/policy/data, and determining mitigations for air quality impacts, with consultation in summer 2026.
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13 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Airport expansion and…
Airspace modernisation likely to expand flight paths and increase noise impact
We understand the need for the Government to modernise the airspace around the UK, particularly if this will minimise the queuing of planes at airports and reduce the time planes spend circling before they can land. However, this work is … Read more
Government Response
The government details its ANPS review for Heathrow expansion, stating that its four tests, including climate, air quality, and noise, will be considered. It commits to consultations on any ANPS amendments and associated environmental assessments by summer 2026, and to engaging the Climate Change Committee on consistency with net zero.
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21 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Airport expansion and…
Government's Jet Zero Strategy insufficient to deliver Net Zero aviation objectives.
The Government’s Jet Zero Strategy remains reliant on demand management measures that are as yet insufficient to deliver Net Zero objectives, especially if there is an increase in demand. The strategy relies on a far higher cost to industry to … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns about the Jet Zero Strategy, clarifying that carbon prices and emission savings were illustrative, and reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the UK ETS and developing Sustainable Aviation Fuels as key parts of its existing strategy.
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22 Recommendation Acknowledged
5th Report - Airport expansion and…
Update Jet Zero Strategy analysis to reflect technological developments and current policy changes.
The government’s Jet Zero strategy is now a few years old and was commissioned under the previous government. Government should consider updating the analysis of the baseline and the pathways to net zero aviation. It should ensure that the plans … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterated its commitment to carbon pricing and strengthening the UK ETS and CORSIA, clarifying that the Jet Zero Strategy's carbon prices and emission savings were illustrative, not targets. It mentioned a recent monitoring and evaluation report to inform progress, but did not commit to updating the strategy's baseline and pathways analysis as requested.
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27 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Airport expansion and…
Airport expansion risks climate targets and lacks demonstrated economic benefits outweighing environmental harm.
Whilst it may be possible for the Government to deliver airport expansion alongside its climate and environment targets, we are concerned that the proposed environmental impact from airport expansion will make such targets significantly more difficult to achieve and at … Read more
Government Response
The government reaffirmed its commitment to net zero, stating that airport expansion is factored into carbon planning and that the ANPS review will consider climate, air quality, and noise, alongside reviewing and updating various environmental assessments. It also committed to engaging the Climate Change Committee on aviation expansion's consistency with the net zero framework.
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Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 17 classified
Accepted 12
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 10
Not Addressed 1
Total 17 recs + 12 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
20 May 2026 To committee Letter from the Minister of Climate relating to The Climate Change Act 2008 (International Aviation and International Shipping) Regulations 2026, 17 April
Parliament page
11 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport relating to the government’s response to the committee Airport expansion and climate and nature targets, 24 February
Parliament page
22 Jan 2026 From committee Letter to Secretary of State for Transport relating to the Government response to the committees report on Airport expansion and Climate and Nature targets, 22 January 2026
Parliament page