“Plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport have been ruled illegal by the court of appeal because ministers did not adequately take into account the government’s commitments to tackle the climate crisis.
“The ruling is a major blow to the project at a time when public concern about the climate emergency is rising fast and the government has set a target in law of net zero emissions by 2050”.
Good news for the planet. First it was France, now it’s the UK.
Also:
“The court’s ruling is the first major ruling in the world to be based on the Paris climate agreement and may have an impact both in the UK and around the globe by inspiring challenges against other high-carbon projects.
“It’s now clear that our governments can’t keep claiming commitment to the Paris agreement, while simultaneously taking actions that blatantly contradict it” said Tim Crosland, at legal charity Plan B, which brought the challenge. “The bell is tolling on the carbon economy loud and clear.”
Interesting legal precedent. You can see now how big new development projects in rich countries are going to be increasingly battered into non-existence by climate crisis activists.
No tears from this happy bunny.
Of course, some “we will appeal!” babble from head-in-the-sand muppets was added for “balance” to the Guardian article:
“We will appeal [as an interested party] to the supreme court on this one issue and are confident that we will be successful. Expanding Heathrow, Britain’s biggest port and only hub, is essential to achieving the prime minister’s vision of global Britain. We will get it done the right way.”
“Mike Cherry, at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “The verdict is a blow to small firms who need greater regional and global connectivity, as well as more opportunities to export.”
Yeah, nah.**
Two slices of good news in two days.
We’re on a roll folks.
** kiwi slang, used when you are in a conversation and you kinda get what the other person is saying but don’t quite agree with what is being said, or don’t really give a shit.
[Cover photo: Adrian Pingstone, public domain]