Institution responds to Environmental Audit Committee report on carbon emissions, air quality and noise

The Institution's Philippa Oldham says Government should set out its emissions strategy not only for Heathrow but for all areas of UK industry.

Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said in response to the new report from the Environmental Audit Committee on carbon emissions, air quality and noise:

“This report highlights the importance of holistic and systems thinking.  A key priority in building a third runway is to consider all impacts on air pollution so inclusive of noise, air quality and carbon emissions. Recently too much of the overall discussion has focused on just air quality. The report is right to demand that the Government should set out its emissions strategy not only for the Heathrow project but for all areas of UK industry, this needs to include key time-bounded targets.

“The new runway at Heathrow will be hugely valuable to increasing trade and supporting the UK’s growth and productivity, particularly after the UK leaves the European Union. The challenge to doing this, while mitigating the environmental impact, is big but not insurmountable. We need a wide-ranging approach that provides incentives for using lower carbon liquid fuels and retrofit technology to clean up our current transport fleet ahead of new, cleaner and more efficient vehicles becoming widely available.

“A key step Government and industry need to take is to collaborate and to collate more real world evidence so that we have a better picture of the complicated challenge we face.”