Climate impact still overlooked in Doncaster Sheffield Airport project: Yorkshire Post Letters

With the Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) now poised to buy the site of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, politicians are again promising a bright future, based on DSA’s development. Meanwhile, the lack of any proper consideration of what it means for the climate continues.

In the 400 page officers’ report completed just days before the SYMCA Board meeting which approved the deal, just two sentences referred board members to a preliminary climate impact report published in July.

That report should never have been accepted as a complete analysis. It estimated CO2 emissions from future flights to and from DSA but never compared these to SYMCA’s climate targets.

We have previously warned SYMCA that those flight emissions could equal around 40 per cent of its target for the rest of the economy by 2035 and continue to grow, which is grossly disproportionate.

The plans for DSA continue to develop and there is now an expectation of a higher proportion of cargo flights. These usually use older and heavier aircraft than those for passengers so total flight emissions will probably be even higher.

Our regional leaders draw encouragement from Government support but ministers are also in denial about aviation’s climate impacts.

Their independent climate advisors have warned that based on current trends, aviation will account for about eighty per-cent of all UK CO2 emissions by 2050.

Political leaders at all levels need to properly engage with evidence on the sheer scale of the climate impacts of expanding aviation.

If the sums being invested in it were to be redirected towards more down to earth activities such as improving public transport, energy efficiency and protecting our natural environment, we would be on course for a far safer and fairer future.