Climate campaigners in Southwark are ‘jumping for joy’ after the government’s Heathrow expansion plans were blocked for the Court of Appeal today.
The court declared plans for a third runway illegal after declaring climate had not been adequately taken into account – including how the UK could meet its Paris Agreement targets.
The ruling is a victory for climate campaigners – including Friends of the Earth which lodged the appeal – and lobbying groups who say more noise pollution would make the lives of those in flight paths a misery.
It is expected that Heathrow will challenge the decision, but not yet known whether the government will continue pushing for the expansion or scrap the project.
We've won our case against the government! The Court of Appeal has judged their plans for Heathrow expansion illegal on climate grounds ?. This ruling is an historic and ground-breaking result for climate justice and for future generations. #NoThirdRunway pic.twitter.com/9oAdz0aZuy
— Friends of the Earth (@friends_earth) February 27, 2020
Claire Sheppard, from Nunhead, who stood as the Green Party’s candidate for Camberwell and Peckham in last December’s general election, was at the court to hear the ruling.
She said she was ‘jumping with joy’.
Amazing news victory for the planet and the campaigners who have fought so hard! #nothirdrunway pic.twitter.com/UUueZao8e3
— Claire Sheppard (@ShinyShep) February 27, 2020
Green Party co-leader, Jonathan Bartley, who stood as its Dulwich and West Norwood parliamentary candidate last year hailed it as “great news but in the face of the climate emergency Heathrow expansion should be permanently grounded.”
In a formal statement, on behalf of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, Paul McGuinness said: “With both the committee of climate change and economists suggesting that Heathrow expansion would have been an assault on the regions, the project is no longer politically acceptable either.”
Extinction Rebellion Southwark described it as a ‘momentous decision’ and a ‘historic result’.
“Opposing Heathrow expansion is a momentous decision. The first ruling against a high-carbon project based on the Paris Agreement, that will undoubtedly cause a ripple effect.
“It confirms what we already know: change is coming.”