Third Runway at Heathrow is illogical given our targets
Chuka’s letter on the Third Runway at Heathrow published today in the Streatham Guardian is reproduced below.
Readers will note the legal challenge launched against the decision to approve the third runway at Heathrow by the 2M Group of London local authorities including Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Wandsworth Councils.
The Labour government has a good record on the environment. Our CO2 emissions fell by 10.8 million tonnes last year and our greenhouse gas emissions were 66 million tonnes lower than in 1997.
Last October we made sure Britain leads the world in ambition on targets to reduce carbon emissions by introducing the Climate Change Bill. The Bill will make us the first country in the world to put carbon reduction targets into law, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to 80 per cent less than 1990 levels.
Given these targets, I share the view of many Labour colleagues that a third runway would quickly be made redundant by our own policies – I cannot not see the logic in going through with the project given the targets we are introducing (the Mayor of London’s proposal of an airport in the Thames estuary is, likewise, equally unappealing). For this and a number of other reasons, I wholeheartedly support this cross party initiative by the 2M Group.
Chuka Umunna
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham
