Capital Investment Plan 2009 - Heathrow Airport

to the size and character of the development it is being charged against. The levy will be
used by the Local Authorities fund new local and sub regional infrastructure.
4.3.2 Climate Change Policy
The UK Government’s national climate change strategy sets out its commitment to
reduce climate change emissions across the economy, including domestic aviation, by
60 per cent by 2050.
The Stern Review on the economics of climate change, published in autumn 2006,
highlighted the need for an urgent and effective international response to the issue. It
also recommended that the best way to tackle carbon emissions is to ensure that each
activity which consumes carbon is priced in the way that reflects its external costs.
UK Government policy is that the price of air travel should, over time, reflect its
environmental and social impacts. To achieve this, the Government continue to pursue
the inclusion of aviation emissions in the European Union (EU) emissions trading scheme
(ETS) as soon as practicable. The Government’s view, which BAA supports, is that
inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS is the most efficient and cost-effective way to ensure
that the sector plays its part in tackling climate change.
The European Commission brought forward a draft Directive to include aviation in
emissions trading in 2006. The European Parliament voted on this draft legislation in
October 2007, and the European Council reached political agreement on the issue in
December 2007. Discussions have continued during 2008 with the second reading of
the
draft.
The Government is also working towards international agreement on a way to bring
international aviation emissions within the wider post- 2012 framework, following up
the Kyoto Protocol. BAA supports this work and views action at a European level as an
interim step towards a global aviation climate policy framework.
The Government has also recommended that all airports plan to become carbon neutral.
BAA currently has a target to reduce CO2 emissions from its energy use in fixed assets
by 30% below 1990 levels by 2020.
4.3.3 New EU Air Quality Directive
In April 2008, the EU published a new directive (2008/50/EC) whereby member states
are allowed to postpone implementation of some EU air quality limit values. For
nitrogen dioxide, 5 extra years are allowed, meaning that concentration limits would
have to be met in 2015. BAA’s understanding is that DEFRA will request this time
extension for the UK, where it will lay out the measures to be taken to meet the target
by the new date.
The impact of this decision on the future development at Heathrow will need to be
assessed in due course.
4.3.4 Noise Map and Action Plans
In accordance with the Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC), BAA’s English
airports are preparing draft noise action plans for public consultation in 2009. This
follows publication of noise Lden contours UK airports in 2006. BAA are awaiting
Internal File Name: 0903XX-CIP 2009 Main Document-V71-IG 33