Activists Win Environmental Appeal Against Heathrow Airport Expansion

London (dpa) - A British court backed environmental campaigners' objections to the construction of a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday, but the airport said it planned a further appeal in the long-running legal battle.

The Court of Appeal said the government had failed to take account of its responsibilities to cut carbon emissions under the Paris climate change agreement when it approved the expansion of Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport.

Friends of the Earth, the main appellant, said the ruling was a "historic and ground-breaking result for climate justice and for future generations."

"We've just won a massive victory," said Will Rundle, Friends of the Earth's head of legal services, adding that the expansion plans were "dead in the water."

"Imagine when we all start taking the Paris agreement into account," tweeted climate change activist Greta Thunberg, who is due to lead a Fridays for Future protest in the English city of Bristol on Friday.

"Today's judgment is a major victory for all Londoners who are passionate about tackling the climate emergency and cleaning up our air," London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted.

Heathrow Airport said it plans to appeal to Britain's highest court, but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government would not join in.

"We have always been clear that Heathrow expansion is a private-sector project which must meet strict criteria on air quality, noise and climate change, as well as being privately financed, affordable, and delivered in the best interest of consumers," Shapps said.

Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson had opposed the expansion before he took office in July.

John McDonnell, shadow chancellor for the main opposition Labour party, said the ruling was "absolutely decisive that the government’s aviation policy is illegal for not addressing climate change."

McDonnell urged Johnson to "do the right thing and block the third runway immediately."

The judges said the government had not complied with legislation requiring it to explain how its approval of the Heathrow expansion "takes account of government policy relating to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change."

"We have not decided, and could not decide, that there will be no third runway at Heathrow," they said, adding that the government "will now have the opportunity to reconsider" the explanation of its approval.

Another environmental group, Plan B Earth, hailed the "ground-breaking judgment of global significance."

Climate change activists Extinction Rebellion called for "a new era of climate leadership" following the decision.

Heathrow reported on Wednesday that it handled a record 80.9 million passengers last year, arguing that the expansion was vital because "capacity constraints continue to strangle the UK’s biggest port."

———

©2020 Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany)

Visit Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) at www.dpa.de/English.82.0.html

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.