Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to greenlight a swathe of huge capital expenditure projects, including a third runway at Heathrow, in an attempt to kickstart the UK economy.
Climate campaigners reacted furiously to the report, which suggested a new runway at Gatwick and terminal expansion at Luton Airport will also be approved.
The proposed Lower Thames Crossing tunnel and Universal’s theme park in Northants will also get the go-ahead in a speech next week by Reeves, Bloomberg reported.
Doug Parr, the policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: “Resurrecting the idea of a third runway at Heathrow in the hope that a strip of tarmac will nudge up the UK’s GDP smacks of desperation.
“The economic benefits are dubious at best while the environmental costs in climate damage, noise and air pollution are certain.
Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, said: “Approving airport expansions would be a catastrophic misstep for a government which claims to be a climate leader.
“This huge increase in emissions won’t help our economy, and would just encourage the small group of frequent flyers who take most of the flights, further worsening the UK’s huge tourism deficit.”
Jenny Bates, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “A decision to greenlight another runway at Heathrow would be hugely irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency and given 2024 was the first year to surpass the all-important 1.5 degrees threshold.
“It would also fly in the face of the Prime Minister’s promise to show international leadership on climate change.”
Another group, No 3rd Runway Coalition, said expanding Heathrow makes no sense if Gatwick and Luton are allowed to go through with their plans.
Reeves will likely face stiff opposition from within the government, with energy secretary Ed Miliband against the plan alongside London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
A spokesperson for Khan told the Guardian: “The mayor has a longstanding opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030.”
After years of delays, Heathrow management said in November that the third runway plan would only be reintroduced if the plan had the full backing of the new government.