• Climate judgement stops airport expansion

    The potential for climate legislation to influence transport policy was demonstrated in Great Britain last month, when a judge told the British government it could not go ahead with a third runway and sixth terminal at London’s Heathrow airport without looking again at the project’s climate implications.

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    The High Court judge said so much had changed in terms of climate change policy since the government first approved the runway in 2003 – notably the introduction of legally obligatory climate targets – that officials had to reconsult on all the underlying issues to see if the expansion was compatible with such targets. The government said its plans for the airport expansion were not dead, but they may be after the British elections being held on 6 May.