Last week, a letter to Supreme Court President Lord Reed urged him to “consider the grave implications” of a judgment in December that former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling took sufficient account of the UK’s climate obligations when he approved the Airports National Policy Statement, which supports Heathrow expansion.

This overturned a previous Court of Appeal decision which saw environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth and Plan B successfully argue that the statement was incompatible with the Paris climate agreement’s latest target to limit global warming to ‘well below’ 2°C.

“The highest court in the United Kingdom has set a precedent that major national projects can proceed, even where they are inconsistent with maintaining the temperature limit on which our collective survival depends,” the letter warns. Signatories include Members of Parliament, environmental campaigners, academics and lawyers.

The letter adds that the decision undermines the UK’s status as a champion of the Paris Agreement ahead of the United Nations’ COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow later this year.

“With all that is at stake, in the UK and beyond, we urge the court to take appropriate steps to mitigate the profound harm its judgment has caused,” it says.

In its December judgment, the Supreme Court emphasised that the Airports National Policy Statement includes a provision to ensure that any future changes to emissions targets must be taken into account at the stage of an application for planning permission.

Also this week, low emission aviation specialist ZeroAvia has announced the launch of a development programme for a hydrogen-electric powered regional aircraft, which could carry over 50 passengers. This comes after the firm secured funds from private investors including British Airways for the project.

(Image: Heathrow Airports Ltd)