Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband refused to be drawn into speculation about a Heathrow third runway when quizzed by MPs on Monday.
However, questioned by the environmental audit committee, he said: “I just want to provide this element of reassurance to you, which is, 100% any aviation expansion must be justified within carbon budgets, and if it can’t be justified, it won’t go ahead.”
Miliband said in response to questioning by newly elected Green MP Ellie Chowns: “Our goal is neither, on the one hand, to stop people going on holiday or the economy getting what it needs, nor is it business as usual, as if climate change is not a problem. I think that is a sensible middle ground of this debate.”
Miliband, who ruled out resigning over the decision to back a third runway at Heathrow last week, had previously told peers that the government saw “no contradiction” between net zero and growth.
“We believe they go absolutely hand in hand, because net zero is a major contributor to growth, can be, and the climate crisis is the biggest long-term economic threat our country faces,” he said.
But his latest comments were seized upon by opponents of a third runway at Heathrow ahead of an expected announcement by chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday, where she is expected to announce support for expansion of the London hub alongside Gatwick and Luton airports.
Paul McGuinness, chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said: “If, as expected, both Gatwick and Luton are given the go ahead for expansion, capacity in the southeast will have been increased by 60 million passengers a year, which is more than Heathrow’s expansion would have been able to provide.
“Even if Heathrow were to submit an application for their own expansion, the energy secretary has flagged up our legally binding carbon commitments and the strong possibility that there won’t be any room in left the carbon budget for their infrastructure to be used, if ever built.”
Meanwhile, Heathrow bosses want assurances from ministers on planning reform and airspace modernisation before formally applying to build a third runway, according to The Times.
This includes a commitment to speed up legal challenges and reduce the time it takes for the planning inspectorate to examine the application, which is about 18 months to two years at present.
A potential battle over landing fees to help recoup the cost of the project – set at £14 billion in 2014 levels – is one of many issues that Heathrow wants clarity on before submitting a planning application for a third runway.
The government confirmed that the chancellor will make a speech on Wednesday “where she will set out plans to push through further planning reforms to get Britain building again, rip up regulatory barriers so we can encourage more investment into the UK and announcements to boost trade and investment”.