- Environmental Responsibility
- Air Quality
- Noise
- Climate Change
- Improving Public Transport
- High Speed Rail
Air Quality
The Environment Agency has been given responsibility for ensuring air quality around Heathrow does not breach EU limits when a third runway is built. If limits are breached, then the agency will have powers to limit the number of flights.
There are several important developments that will help reduce pollution around the airport over the next few years, even with a third runway:
- in 2010, the EU is bringing in strict laws about the amount of Nitrogen Dioxide permitted in residential area.
- at the same time, the emission standards for car and heavy good vehicles will become much tighter, meaning emissions from road vehicles will be cut.
- older aircraft at Heathrow are steadily being replaced by newer, cleaner aircraft. This will reduce emissions from aircraft engines - the industry is committed to an 80% reduction in Nitrogen Oxides emissions from future aircraft by 2020.
- there will be public transport improvements to the airport. By 2017, there will be more, faster trains on the Piccadilly Line, Crossrail will have been introduced and Heathrow AirTrack will provide a rail link out to the south and west. Find out more about improvements to public transport at Heathrow.