Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about airport expansion. I realise this is a contentious issue for many residents of Lewisham North.

Decarbonising transport is a key focus for this Government. It is central to the delivery of the UK’s climate targets, and directly supports the Prime Minister’s mission to accelerate our journey to net zero.

Ministers absolutely recognise the urgency of the global climate challenge. We are almost halfway through a decisive decade in the race to halt climate change. If we want to leave future generations a liveable and safe world, we must stick to the Paris agreement and keep 1.5° of global warming within reach.
I understand the concerns that you and others have about the expansion of airports and their compatibility with our climate change targets. I am therefore pleased that the Government has been clear that airport expansion will need to be considered carefully alongside these commitments.

I welcome the Government’s pledge to ensure that the economic benefits of airport expansions are delivered in a way that considers and addresses environmental and social responsibilities.

I am also pleased that progress is already being made in transitioning to greener aviation with the introduction of the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate. In support of this, the Government will invest £63 million over the next year in the advanced fuels fund, supporting SAF producers across the UK. Ministers have been clear that the Government’s SAF commitments will support thousands of jobs, bring down our transport emissions, support our energy security and make the UK a clean energy superpower.

More widely, I welcome the rapid action the Government has taken towards meeting our 2030 climate targets. This includes publishing its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, lifting the ban on onshore wind (within 72 hours of coming into office), establishing Great British Energy and showing global leadership in negotiations at COP29.

We have also reactivated the Solar Taskforce to boost solar energy’s role in the UK’s 2030 clean power mission, started a solar rooftop revolution and approved 2GW of nationally significant solar power in few short months (exceeding the total from the past 14 years combined).

To help households, we have committed to lifting 1 million renters out of fuel poverty through upgrading energy efficiency standards, scrapped the 1m rule for heat pumps which has held back installations and strengthened the energy regulator to ensure it properly stands up for consumers.

Thank you once again for taking the time to get in touch. I will continue to monitor constituent feedback on this as things progress.