Airlines should pay for CO2 removal if Heathrow expands, say climate advisers
Summary
The UK government’s climate advisers say Heathrow airport should only expand if airlines pay to remove carbon dioxide from the air. They warn that building a third runway would break the UK’s climate goals unless the aviation industry becomes cleaner and invests in new fuels and carbon removal technologies.Key Facts
- The Climate Change Committee (CCC) advises that expanding Heathrow without carbon removal payment would breach the UK’s carbon limits.
- Aviation must become more efficient, use sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and pay for removing carbon from the atmosphere by 2050.
- These costs would likely increase flight prices, adding about £150 to Alicante flights and £400 to New York flights by 2050.
- Critics say relying on SAF and carbon removal is risky because these technologies are not proven or widely available yet.
- Frequent flying is mostly done by wealthy people: 5% of the population take one-third of flights, and the richest group takes 38% of all flights abroad.
- The CCC suggests airline emissions policies consider these flying inequalities but does not recommend a tax on frequent flyers.
- Aviation emissions have grown and now produce more carbon than the UK’s electricity sector, making up 9% of the UK’s total emissions.
- Heathrow says expansion should support both economic growth and net zero carbon goals.
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