in emissions by the Leeds Bradford and Bristol’s expansion plans than previously thought, while plans for Stansted would cause eight times more emissions and 1.5 times more by Southampton. According to the NEF, the four scheme would lead to an increase in annual airport-level CO2 equivalent emissions of up to 3.7 million tonnes by 2035, the year of the government’s new climate target.
Defending their expansion plans and their climate impacts, spokesperson for Leeds Bradford airport told The Guardian that the plans were “not about expansion, but about achieving what we already have consent to do in a more sustainable way”.
“Development will make LBA an outstanding net zero airport with a much-improved passenger experience, connecting Yorkshire with other parts of the country and the world for business and tourism,” the spokesperson noted.
The operations director at Southampton airport, Steve Szalay, said it was “wholly committed” to working with the aviation industry in order to tackle climate change through new technology and the introduction of more sustainable fuel.
“However, we appreciate that there isn’t an overnight solution,” he added. “With that in mind we have delivered a worst-case scenario in the environmental impact assessment presented during our recent planning application which would see just a 164-metre extension to our existing runway, this conservative approach doesn’t rely on fuels or technologies that are under development and includes all in-bound and outbound flights.”
