A cross-party group of MPs has issued a stark warning that the UK government’s continued support for new runways and expanded airport capacity could undermine the country’s legally binding commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

In a report released on 24 October 2025, the Environmental Audit Committee cautioned that unchecked airport expansion — particularly at major hubs like Heathrow and Gatwick — poses a serious threat to the UK’s climate goals. The committee found that the current aviation policy lacks a credible plan to reconcile the growth in air traffic with national carbon budgets and biodiversity targets.

According to the MPs, increasing air capacity risks driving aviation emissions upward faster than the development of green technologies such as sustainable aviation fuels and carbon capture systems. Without stronger safeguards and a clear strategy for emission reductions, they warned, the UK’s broader net-zero transition could be placed in “serious jeopardy.”

The report underscores a growing tension between economic growth and environmental responsibility — calling for immediate policy alignment to ensure that future infrastructure projects are consistent with the UK’s climate commitments.

The Challenge Posed By Airport Expansion

The committee’s report argues that airport expansion threatens the UK’s net zero target by almost certainly accelerating domestic and international aviation emissions unless and until concrete, enforceable measures are put in place. Aviation emissions increased sharply as travel rebounded after the pandemic: according to the, aviation emissions rose by about 9% in 2024 to roughly 38.4 million tonnes CO2e, a rise that overtook reductions in other sectors and undermined aviation’s growing share of the UK’s carbon footprint.

The MPs emphasised that without strict controls, the expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick in particular could force aviation emissions beyond the levels consistent with meeting the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets.

The report also criticised the government’s reliance on the upcoming future technologies and unproven measures – especially sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and carbon offsets – arguing these cannot yet deliver the large-scale reductions required. MPs urged ministers to update the Airports National Policy Statement so that climate and nature goals are central to each and every decision on airport capacity.

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Key Concerns Raised By MPs

• MPs stated the government has not proven that any planned airport expansion would endure within the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets. They called for explicit climate tests before the new capacity is finalized.
• The report documents that flight demand is projected to increase sharply, which could offset the emissions drop elsewhere in the economy. The Climate Change Committee predicts aviation demand may increase by 25% by 2050, making it one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise.
• MPs caution that the policy infrastructure depends too heavily on emerging technologies. If SAFs, electric, or hydrogen aircraft do not develop fast enough, the emissions gap created by expansion will be difficult to bridge.
• The Airports National Policy Statement, which was last updated in 2018, is outdated and does not reflect the UK’s recent climate and biodiversity commitments. The government has promised a review, but MPs said clearer, binding safeguards are still really needed.

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The Bottom Line

The committee concluded that airport expansion threatens the UK’s net zero target unless powerful, enforceable safeguards are met. MPs warned that the expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick, without these steps, places the UK’s net-zero ambitions in “serious jeopardy”. They urged ministers to develop contingency plans, demand-management tools, and realistic assessments of low-carbon aviation technologies.

A press release by the Aviation Environment Federation further shed light on UK international aviation emissions reaching their highest level ever in 2024, reinforcing MPs’ warnings.

If expansion carries on without strict limits, MPs warned that the UK could go through difficult trade-offs – short-term economic gains at the cost of breaching carbon limits and undermining the nation’s long-term net-zero pledge. The government’s upcoming review of its airports policy will now be a key test of whether infrastructure growth can truly come together with climate responsibility.

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