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Third Heathrow runway risks being a white elephant, says ippr

11 January 2009

The government should not commit to a third runway at Heathrow unless the industry's own emissions targets are guaranteed for any aircraft that want to use the new runway says the Institute of Public Policy Research (ippr).

Ahead of next week’s anticipated Government decision on whether to give the go ahead to a third runway at Heathrow, ippr says the building of a third runway should not go ahead unless the Government requires aircraft using the runway to meet the aviation industry's own targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions and noise in new aircraft by 50% and nitrogen oxides by 80% by 2020. 

Simon Retallack, Head of Climate Change at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), said:

“The economic advantages of building a third runway at Heathrow have been greatly overstated and the environmental case against it is overwhelming. If ministers were to give the runway a green light, this should only be with strict conditions for meeting tough air quality, noise and climate change targets.

"The aviation industry has pledged to cut carbon dioxide emissions and noise in new aircraft by 50% and nitrogen oxides by 80% by 2020. Only aircraft which meet or exceed those targets should be permitted to land on any new runway. BAA and the airline industry must bear the risk that a third runway will be a white elephant if aviation cannot be made greener.

“If a third runway is built without these conditions attached, European air quality standards will continue to be breached, noise pollution for households on flight paths will increase and a valuable opportunity will be missed to ensure the aviation industry prepares for a low carbon future.”

Notes to editors

Through ACARE (the Advisory Council for Aerospace Research in Europe), the aviation industry is committed to achieving three goals for new aircraft technology by 2020, compared to a benchmark for large civil aircraft from 2000:

1) Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 50 per cent per passenger kilometre.
2) Reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 80 per cent.
3) Reducing perceived aircraft noise by 50 per cent.

These targets are mostly expected to come through improvements to engines and airframes. The targets were set voluntarily by the European aviation industry and are broadly in line with USA research goals set by NASA.

Contact

Kelly O’Sullivan, Media Officer on k.osullivan@ippr.org / 020 7470 6125 / 07753 719 289