The Chancellor is betraying the environment by backing the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport - Yorkshire Post Letters

A few years ago, Rachel Reeves was saying that she was looking forward to being ‘the first Green Chancellor’. It would appear that she did not understand what that would mean in reality, as she continues to base all decisions on economic growth and recently indicated her view that economic growth is more important to the UK government than net zero.

It has been the continued ‘economic growth’ mantra that has brought humanity to the critical position it is now in with regards to the environmental crises we face. We are currently transgressing the ‘ecological ceiling’ in several spheres, most significantly climate change and biodiversity loss.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to the 'economic growth' model. Doughnut Economics recognises that there are planetary limits to growth and provides an approach to the reality we face.

Most people understand how much aviation contributes to carbon emissions and so it was shocking when we heard that despite Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves being against the third runway at Heathrow previously, they have now changed their minds.

It seems they have been taken in by the myth that there will be an alternative to fossil fuels to power aircraft in the near future. Their encouragement for the expansion of aviation affects us closer to home.

Here in Yorkshire, Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has plans to greatly increase the number of flights, including night flights. As well as the impact on the health and well-being for those of us living under the LBA flight path, airport expansion flies in the face of our attempts to mitigate climate change.

Granting permission to expand Heathrow, or any other airport will be disastrous for our climate ambitions. The Government's own climate advisers have been crystal clear: if we want a safe climate, we can’t expand airports. It’s as simple as that.

We need to go back to talking about the climate emergency and start taking emergency action, just as we did in the Covid pandemic five years ago.