Plans for Heathrow new runway blocked over climate concerns

Plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport have been thrown into uncertainty following a ruling by the court of appeal which found that the government’s decision for expansion was not aligning with its climate commitments.
The case was brought to court by, among others, the Mayor of London, councils and environmental groups including Plan B and Greenpeace. The ruling was welcomed by the plaintiffs as a step that would ensure the inclusion of the government’s climate commitments deriving from the Paris Agreement into the national aviation policy.
In 2018, the government released the Airports National Policy Statement, which was backing the expansion at Heathrow Airport. However, campaign groups have repeatedly expressed their opposition with such a move challenging the decision with a series of judicial reviews which were initially dismissed by the high court. 
However, the court of appeal’s new ruling indicated that moving on with the expansion of Heathrow would not take into account the government’s commitments under Paris Agreement for rapid emissions reduction to keep global temperature increases below 1.5 ºC. 
The new decision doesn’t exclude the possibility that a third runway could be built in the future, however this requires the government to make the Heathrow project compatible with its climate targets.
The government said that it would not appeal against the judgement, however it is already considering its future steps. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, in a tweet said that, “Airport expansion is core to boosting global connectivity. We also take seriously our commitment to the environment. The Government won’t appeal today’s judgement given our manifesto makes clear any Heathrow expansion will be industry led.’’
Heathrow, on the other hand, announced that the issue will be challenged to the supreme court. “I’m confident that this issue is fixable, and we can work with the government to get on and deliver the expanded Heathrow that Britain needs,” said Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye, adding that ‘‘Without Heathrow expansion, there will be no global Britain.”
Before becoming Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has prominently opposed a third runway. In an indicative statement he made in 2015, he said, “I will lie down with you in front of those bulldozers and stop the construction of that third runway”.
However, finding a balance between the UK’s crucial economic future deriving from the country’s recent divorce from the European Union and its ambitious climate goals, would be a challenge for the government.
The court’s ruling, introduced a legal precedent that major infrastructure projects can’t process without the country’s climate targets taken into account. The judgement is the first major ruling to be based on the Paris Agreement.