Environmentalists call for new airport to be cancelled
The environmentalists argue that the "billions of euros that would be wasted on airport expansion" should be "invested in a public transport network accessible to all".
Nine environmental organisations on Monday called for the cancellation of any aviation expansion project in Portugal and the construction of a public transport service accessible to all, in the run-up to the early parliamentary elections.
“Expanding Lisbon’s current airport and building a new airport would be madness that would put our foot on the accelerator of climate chaos by increasing greenhouse gas emissions, with harmful effects on the lives of millions of people around the world and in Portugal,” they said in a statement entitled “No to aviation expansion, yes to fair mobility”.
The environmentalists argue that the “billions of euros that would be wasted on airport expansion” should be “invested in a public transport network accessible to all, including night trains for international travel”.
They point out that greenhouse gas emissions from aviation in Portugal have “more than doubled” in the last 20 years and that Lisbon airport is “the most polluting infrastructure in the country, with around 15% of total national emissions”.
“If we are to meet the climate science targets, there must be no aviation expansion, at any airport or anywhere else. Instead, there must be a reduction in air traffic at all airports,” say the organisations ATERRA, Climáximo, ECOSOC (Ecology and Society Workshop of the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra), Student Climate Strike Lisbon, Linha Vermelha, Living in Lisbon, Lisboa Possível, Rede para o Decrescimento and XR Portugal.
They emphasise that “expanding aviation would not respond to any social need; it would aggravate the climate crisis, the problem of touristification and access to housing, and the quality of life of those who live near airports, due to noise and emissions of fine and ultrafine particles”.
Lisbon’s new international airport, to be built in Alcochete, was presented by the outgoing prime minister, Luís Montenegro, in May last year.
ANA, the company responsible for managing airports in Portugal, has said it will submit an official application to build the new infrastructure, which it expects to be ready by 2037.