Skip to main content
Tories committed to Heathrow expansion despite historic climate emergency declaration
Friends of the Earth announces it will appeal High Court's decision to dismiss its legal challenge against the expansion

THE Tories stood accused today of not only ignoring the historic climate emergency vote Labour forced through Parliament yesterday, but also of further increasing Britain’s carbon emissions by reaffirming their commitment to Heathrow airport’s third runway expansion.

Today, less than 24 hours after the unprecedented declaration, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told MPs that the government must “now get on with delivering that expansion, although always mindful that [it] must fit in with the UK’s climate change obligations.”

Despite Heathrow already being Britain’s largest single source of carbon emissions, Grayling said he was confident his department, which this week blew £50 million of public money on non-existent Brexit ferry services, could build the runway and “continue to fulfil our obligations to reduce carbon emissions.”

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
BITTER HARVEST: Fires in Argentine Patagonia in February 2026 / Pic: tfnoticias/CC
Features / 27 May 2026
27 May 2026

Established as a landmark victory for the climate movement, the CCC promised to hold governments to account. Today, it is understating the danger of climate chaos and impeding the radical action needed, says IAN SINCLAIR

Server room Scott Rodgerson
Climate Crisis / 21 January 2026
21 January 2026

Lawyers to challenge approval of data centre in Britain that ‘pollutes on the scale of an international airport’

Erhai lake
Climate Crisis / 9 October 2025
9 October 2025

One of the major criticisms of China’s breakneck development in recent decades has been the impact on nature — returning after 15 years away, BEN CHACKO assessed whether the government’s recent turn to environmentalism has yielded results