Representation by Zoe Aspinall
- Date submitted
- 19 November 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Flying, whether a short or long haul, is one of the most climate-wrecking modes of transport. Heathrow is one of the biggest single sources of greenhouse gases in the UK. A third runway will all but blow our chances of meeting our targets for cutting emissions. Just 15% of the UK’s population take the majority (70%) of all flights. Bigger airports would mainly serve the interests of frequent flyers. A report by the Airports Commission in 2015 estimated that a third runway at Heathrow would cost around £18.6 billion. This figure includes not only construction expenses but also associated costs like surface access improvements. Already local people have to endure 1,300 noisy planes landing and taking off at Heathrow every day. A third runway could mean a 50% increase in flights, 370,000. Air pollution locally is a problem, and nearly all of London doesn’t comply with WHO standards. This impact the well/being of local people. Furthermore, the construction of a new runway at Heathrow would necessitate the demolition of homes and displacement of communities, causing social upheaval and potentially infringing on the rights of residents. Additionally, the strain on existing infrastructure, such as transportation and public services, could escalate with the influx of passengers and employees, further impacting the quality of life for those in the surrounding areas. The government claims a third runway will be good for the economy – but there are no guarantees. And they haven’t factored in the true costs of climate change. Additionally, a 2020 study by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics estimated that the economic cost of climate change in the UK could reach £16 billion per year by the 2050s and £27 billion per year by the 2080s, if adequate adaptation measures are not implemented. A new landmark study, led by the University of Bristol and global water risk modelling leader Fathom, which pieces together a dataset that assesses flood hazards based on Met Office climate projections and modelled on historic flood risk figures based on river flow, rainfall, and tide-surge observations. These data sets were then matched with data on flood losses from the Association of British Insurers. Flooding, and managing it, cost the UK around £2.2 billion each year: we currently spend around £800 million per annum on flood and coastal defences; and, even with the present flood defences, we experience an average of £1,400 million of damage Failing to deliver net-zero targets could see the cost of flooding increase by between 13% to 23%. The estimated total economic and social cost of fire in England in year ending March 2020 was £12.0 billion, of which £3.2 billion is marginal cost. We are seeing annual increases in fire caused by high temperatures, as a result of climate change. Money would be better invested in public transport infrastructure. Additionally, the construction and operation of a new runway could disrupt local ecosystems, posing a threat to biodiversity. Our children need a habitable country to live in. If the U.K. wish any kind of credibility on the international stage, regarding climate change, this must not go ahead. Any short- term gain does not justify the longer term consequences and subsequent costs. The policy to build another runway demonstrates the ongoing short-sightedness of U.K. governance.