Heathrow Airport

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, The court of appeal is a judgment on the Heathrow expansion, in one case, the by green groups is massively significant.

the judge will decide whether the Heathrow expansion takes account of climate protection objectives.

The case was brought, local residents, local councils, The Mayor of London, and environmental groups, including Greenpeace.

There are A Number of possible outcomes.

If the court ruled against the environmentalists, it is likely that Heathrow, the third runway will be built.

If it rules against the government, the Minister, could restart in order for the assessment to be included.

This could bring the controversial case to reconsider the extension is compatible with tackling Climate Change , or may have, UK-infrastructure, policy, to ensure that it is compatible with the Paris climate agreement.

The Prime Minister could also accept a negative judgment and allows the court the debt on the expansion proposal take for scuppering that he already for a long time.

climate challenge

The government's Climate Change Committee pointed out that the expansion of Heathrow to be compatible with a climate-neutral economy.

But the former transport Secretary Chris Grayling a green light for a third runway, there is in April 2018.

Boris Johnson missed The Commons vote on the scheme. He was in Afghanistan in his role as foreign Minister.

Green groups argue that before the decision was made, Mr account of the Paris negotiations on Climate Change , have pledged to limit the Global Warming to 1 Grayling. 5 degrees, if possible.

In the time he of The step, said: “that [the] government is today important really. I Am proud that after years of discussion and delay, this government's decisive action to secure the UK's place in the global air travel Market – securing the jobs and business opportunities for the next decade and beyond. "

government advisors warned him that the expansion of air travel would increase emissions, if you should go down.

And since then the Parliament has agreed to a climate-neutral economy in 2050 is significantly more demanding, as the 80% emission reduction target in force when Mr Grayling made his decision.

The Green groups, who do not believe, to meet an expanded Heathrow is capable of net-zero target, even with The Advent of new technologies.

they also think that the Federal government does calculations on Heathrow under-estimation of the total damage of air travel, to the climate.

If you win the case, the impact on the other, the policy of the government in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, are potentially huge.

Tim Crosland from the pressure-group Plan B , one of the organizations that brought the lawsuit, told Bbc News : “This is massively important – it will mean that in the UK at least carbon-intensive investment should not happen anymore.

“the Other Nations at this judgment, and under the note [of] what it means to commit to net-zero-carbon-emissions. "

"Good for trade'

John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow Airport , told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme on Wednesday that The Airport would play outlet an important role in the post-UK EU-UK.

"Let us be clear, the Heathrow expansion, no global Britain," he said. "This is how easy it is. "

He's just a "hub said," The Airport can get, goods and people, to "all the major trading markets of The World ."

"If we don't fly through Heathrow, we will fly via Paris Charles De Gaulle," he said. "We distribute the control over our trading-business French - Once our friends and partners, today our opponent. "

"Well, no Prime Minister will give to the control over the economy to the French ," he said. "We must not allow the French to control our trading in the future. "

The government declined to comment.

you can follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin

Source of news: bbc.com