Zack Polanski just held Sadiq Khan’s feet to the fire over airport expansions

In his latest refusal to stand against pollution in London, mayor Sadiq Khan rejected an offer by Zack Polanski AM to join together and urge the national government to reject any future efforts to expand the city’s airports.

Zack Polanski pushes Khan just as Stansted expansion announced

As the Canary previously reported, the Labour government just announced a £1.1bn investment in a Stansted Airport expansion over the next five years, ultimately showing how little it cares about the planet and climate crisis.

Of course, the government’s decision flies (almost quite literally) in the face of the climate crisis.

This includes the advice of its very own independent body the Climate Change Committee. Crucially, it had argued that government’s shouldn’t approve any airport expansions as this would jeopardise its climate commitments.

Naturally then, first the Labour Party gave the greenlight to the London City Airport expansion in August. It alone will mean the UK will pump out a further 230,000 tonnes of carbon-equivalent emissions a year, up to 2050.

So, Green Party deputy leader and AM Polanski challenged Sadiq Khan over airport expansions.

Bigger airports are ‘never’ compatible with net zero

Pointing to the mayor’s power over the Airport National Policy Statement (ANPS), Zack Polanski pushed the Mayor to explain his previous support for suspending the ANPS with his present refusal to take any meaningful action to actually do so.

While Stansted Airport lies outside the boundaries GLA remit, Heathrow Airport and London City Airport both fall under the mayor’s purview.

Zack’s questions come after numerous questions over the mayor’s puzzling support for United Airlines, an American company that sponsored both London Pride 2023 as well as round trip business class flights for the Mayor’s trip to New York City.

Following his exchange with the mayor, Polanski said:

Bigger and bigger airports will never be compatible with a net zero target. Ever.

The Mayor has a real chance to step up and stop any further airport expansion across London, yet when given any opportunity to do so, all we get is more dithering, blame games, and petty partisanship.

It’s time to put action to his words: If London’s Mayor is serious about building a city that is safe and healthy for all Londoners, there is simply no excuse for not joining me in urging the national government to reject further plans for airport expansion.

Featured image via the Canary