BBC Focus - 04.2020_

Heathrow expansion plans

stopped in their tracks

OnThursday 27 February,theUK

CourtofAppealruledthatthe

government’sdecisiontoapprove

a newthirdrunwayatHeathrowis

illegal,asit breachesitsownpolicy

commitmentsunderthe 2015 Paris

Agreementonclimatechange.

Aviationis a rapidlyexpanding

sectorglobally,andoneofthemost

carbon-intensiveformsoftransport.

However, its distribution is uneven.

PlanstobuildanotherrunwayatHeathrowairporthavebeendeclared

unlawful for failing to take the UK’s climatecommitmentsintoaccount

CLIMATE

DISCOVERIES

Accordingtoa Departmentfor

Transportsurvey,inEngland,roughly

20 percentofpeopletake 70 per

centof all flights,whilearoundhalf

of peopledo not takeany flightsat

allina givenyear.A thirdrunwayat

Heathrowwouldbringanextra 700

planesperdaythroughtheairport,

alreadyoneofthebusiestinEurope.

“TheParisAgreementoughtto

have been taken into account by

GREEN

Acampaigner

celebrates

afterhearing

therulingthat

another

runwayat

Heathrow

wouldbe

unlawful

WINDWIN
TheUKgovernmenthaslifted
itsoppositiontosubsidies
foronshorewindpower
aftera four-yearban.The
nextroundofcleanenergy
auctions,settobeheldin
2021,willallowbothonshore
windandsolartocompetefor
subsidiesoncemore,it said.
Localcommunitieswillhave
a “definitivesay”onwhether
projectsareallowedto
proceed,thegovernmentsaid.
Despitethefactthatthereis
strongsupportfromthepublic
forwindpower,thenumber
ofnewonshorewindfarms
droppeddramaticallywhen
thebanwasimplementedin
2016.Solarandonshorewind
powerarenowthecheapest
sourcesofnew electricity
in the UK.

Theenvironmentalstories you need to know

Words:Jocelyn Timperley