Ed Miliband has said any expansion of Heathrow airport or other aviation projects must fall within the UK’s carbon budget as he leads the push for net zero.
The energy secretary, who has refused to resign over the plans to expand Heathrow with a third runway, looked visibly uncomfortable as he was grilled on the controversy by newly elected Green MP Ellie Chowns.
During the session of the environmental audit committee, Ms Chowns rounded on Mr Miliband over the apparent incompatibility between his plans to reduce carbon emissions and chancellor Rachel Reeves’s push for economic growth.
Ms Reeves had already caused Mr Miliband difficulties by suggesting that economic growth should “trump” net zero considerations.
The chancellor said: “When we say growth is the number one issue for this government, we mean it and that means it trumps other things.”
Mr Miliband’s grilling over Heathrow came as Ms Reeves faced dissent at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) from Brentford and Isleworth MP Ruth Cadbury, who has been a longstanding opponent of a third runway in west London.
A spokesperson for Ms Reeves confirmed Ms Cadbury, whose constituency would be affected, was the only MP to speak out and there was otherwise “overwhelming support”.
There has been speculation that the Heathrow expansion could be confirmed by Ms Reeves this week when she makes a major speech on economic growth.
Under questioning from Ms Chowns, Mr Miliband refused to say whether an announcement on the airport would come before next month’s report by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which will set the UK’s carbon budget and emission limits.
Ms Chowns asked: “Would you agree that major infrastructure investment decisions or permission decisions such as, for example, airport expansion should not be taken before we get the forthcoming advice this month from the [CCC] and that such policies such as airport expansion are, as the [CCC] previously said, incompatible with meeting the targets we already have?”
Mr Miliband responded: “Our goal is neither, on the one hand, to stop people going on holiday or the economy getting what it needs, nor is it business as usual, as if climate change is not a problem. I think that is a sensible middle ground of this debate.”
But when pressed further, he added: “Any aviation expansion must be justified within the framework of carbon budgets. I can absolutely assure you that is the position of the government, and that is the basis, without anticipating anything that might be announced or might not be announced. That is absolutely the basis on which the government stands.”
Ms Chowns hit back: “In that case, secretary of state, given the aviation expansion will increase emissions from the aviation sector, which sectors are you suggesting should contract their emissions even further in order to accommodate any proposed airport expansion?”
Mr Miliband was unwilling to give any specifics.
He said: “Well, look, that is a specific question about the pathway of aviation emissions, and that depends on a whole range of factors, as you will know, including the use of sustainable aviation fuel, airport efficiency and what other decisions are done. I just wanted to provide this reassurance because you’ve made a really important point.”
