Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
5th Report - Airport expansion and climate and nature targets
Environmental Audit Committee
HC 831
Published 24 October 2025
Recommendations
9
Deferred
Impose air quality limits around airports and mandate measures for no net pollution increase.
Recommendation
The Government, when updating the Airports National Policy Statement, should impose air quality limits for areas surrounding airports covering all key air quality pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Having established those limits, government should require that any …
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Government Response Summary
The government deflects the recommendation for air quality limits and pollution mitigation around airports by detailing its Non-CO2 Research and Development Programme and Contrails Impact Mitigation Task and Finish Group, focusing on non-CO2 climate impacts rather than local air quality.
10
Deferred
Incentivise airlines to use aircraft reducing non-CO2 emissions and consult on fleet age
Recommendation
The Government should set out in its response to this report what work and research it is supporting to reduce non-CO2 emissions that damage air quality around airports. It should also confirm whether it has identified which current aircraft have …
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Government Response Summary
The government deflects the recommendation regarding non-CO2 emissions and local air quality around airports by focusing its response on carbon pricing mechanisms (UK ETS, CORSIA), decarbonisation targets, sustainable aviation fuels, and global action for achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
12
Deferred
Include specific noise pollution targets for flights within updated Airports National Policy Statement
Recommendation
The Government should ensure that it is actively working to minimise and mitigate all impacts of noise pollution on relevant populations caused through flying. It should also include a target, within the new ANPS, on the level of acceptable noise …
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Government Response Summary
The government entirely deflects the recommendation on noise pollution mitigation and setting noise targets in the ANPS by discussing its use of carbon markets (UK ETS, CORSIA) to drive CO2 decarbonisation in the aviation sector.
14
Deferred
Publish noise and biodiversity impact assessments for airspace modernisation, and expand mitigation
Recommendation
The Government must publish an impact assessment of its airspace modernisation work in regard to how it will change noise impacts as well as publish a map which allows people to see where the noise of aircraft is likely to …
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Government Response Summary
The government defers to an ongoing ANPS review which will consider relevant changes and be subject to consultation by summer 2026. Specific impact assessments, maps, and mitigation expansion will be part of future DCO applications, rather than being committed to by the government directly.
16
Deferred
Update Airports National Policy Statement with coherent plan, specific environmental limits, and cumulative impacts
Recommendation
The Government should update the Airports National Policy Statement no later than six months after the publication of this report. The updated Statement should: • set out a coherent plan from Government about the airport and aviation system that takes …
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Government Response Summary
The government has begun a review of the ANPS and expects to consult on a revised ANPS by July 2026 if amendments are needed, significantly deferring the committee's recommended six-month timeline.
20
Deferred
Require consultation on airspace-wide contrail avoidance and account for non-CO2 aviation effects.
Recommendation
Within six months of the publication of this report the Government must consult on airspace-wide contrail avoidance measures. Furthermore, given the significant role that non-CO2 effects play in global warming, the Government must account for these in its assessment of …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the recommendation but defers action on contrail avoidance consultation and accounting for non-CO2 effects due to significant uncertainty and ongoing research. It highlights a £29m R&D programme and a task group assessing feasibility, with findings to inform future policy.
Conclusions (4)
3
Conclusion
Deferred
We heard concerns that if airport expansion is focused around the South East of England it could concentrate wider growth in those regions. This could be detrimental to the aviation and airport sectors, and the local economy, around the rest of the United Kingdom. Whilst there were representations from regional …
Government Response Summary
The government's response deflects by discussing the review of air quality limits and other environmental assessments for Heathrow expansion, with consultations in summer 2026, without addressing the committee's concern about the regional concentration of economic growth.
5
Conclusion
Deferred
The Government has confirmed that it is updating the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS). We welcome the letter from the then Aviation Minister, Mike Kane MP, to the Committee following his appearance which confirmed that the Heathrow decision would not be taken before the new ANPS is published. (Conclusion, Paragraph …
Government Response Summary
The government's response deflects from the committee's welcome of the ANPS update and Heathrow decision delay, instead detailing the review of noise impacts for Heathrow expansion, with mitigations and consultations planned for summer 2026.
6
Conclusion
Deferred
We are concerned that airport expansion plans will have been produced prior to the publication of a new ANPS which ought to be in place to provide the airports with strategic guidance. We are also deeply concerned that, given a number of airport expansions will have been approved prior to …
Government Response Summary
The government deflects from the concern about airport expansion plans being approved under an outdated policy framework by stating that it is reviewing and updating environmental assessments like the Appraisal of Sustainability and Habitats Regulations Assessment, which will be subject to consultation alongside any amended ANPS.
11
Conclusion
Deferred
The Airports National Policy Statement fails to account for noise pollution. Whilst improvements have been seen in reducing the level of noise made by individual flights, more must be done to minimise the impact on those who live under and around flight paths. (Conclusion, Paragraph 58)
Government Response Summary
The government stated its policy to mitigate aviation noise and noted that the DfT is considering noise impacts and mitigations as part of an ongoing Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) review, with any amendments subject to consultation in summer 2026.