Heathrow expansion will breach UK climate change laws, says advisory body

The UK's plan to expand Heathrow airport will increase emissions by 15% by 2050 and be in breach of climate change legislation, an advisory body said on Friday.

The Committee on Climate Change said there would be little scope to find cuts in other parts of the economy if aviation emissions were allowed to rise.

In a letter to Business Secretary Greg Clark, committee chair Lord Deben said his group had “limited confidence about the options for other sectors”.

“If emissions from aviation are now anticipated to be higher than 2005, then all other sectors would have to prepare for correspondingly higher emissions reductions. Aviation emissions at 2005 levels already imply an 85% reduction in other sectors,” he wrote.