Representation by Michael John Clemens
- Date submitted
- 16 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
London Gatwick’s application to bring its Northern Runway into routine use conflicts with the Climate Change Committee’s recent progress report and Sixth Carbon Budget, which have made a clear recommendation that “there should be no net expansion of UK airport capacity unless the sector is on track to sufficiently outperform its net emissions trajectory”. Evidence that the sector is on track to sufficiently outperform its net emissions trajectory must be presented before the project can be approved. It is my view that proposals to expand airport capacity should not be coming forward during a time of climate crisis. The relevant decision makers should take the concerns of experts seriously, bearing in mind that the government has set a legally binding target for reaching net zero. There can be no doubt that the Northern Runway proposal, that will enable more flights at Gatwick and increase carbon emissions, lies in direct opposition to this target. Additional to these considerations, the creation of the new infrastructure necessary to support the Gatwick expansion, including the building of car parks, hotels and new road junctions will further impair the chances of reaching net zero carbon emissions within the time scale required. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the maintenance of the biodiversity required to ensure a positive future for both wildlife and people, and the proposed Gatwick Northern Runway scheme will reduce the changes of achieving such a positive future.