Mueller, B. Landler, M. (2021 February 27) U.K. Court Blocks Heathrow Airport Expansion on Environmental Grounds. Retrieved February 13, 2020 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/world/europe/heathrow-airport-third-runway-uk.html

 

The predicted expansion of London’s Heathrow Airport has been blocked by a UK Court of Appeal. The ruling states that the government has not fulfilled its duties to fight climate change that were outlined in the Paris Accords. While this will not affect anything outside of the UK, it could affect future decisions within the sovereign state. This is just one decision of many that have been made in past decades to support environmental protection efforts. 

The courts are doing the right thing in blocking this expansion and providing incentives to combat climate change. The government has not followed through on its efforts to fight climate change that it agreed to under the Paris Accords, so it should not be allowed to continue as if it has. This ruling could set a precedent in the UK, and hopefully set an example for other countries in the world. Expanding projects like airports can be detrimental to wildlife and their habitats. Preventing this expansion could ensure that biodiversity is not decreased. When certain people are doing all they can to help climate change along, rulings and laws might be the only way to protect the environment.