HEATHROW’S new sustainability strategy unveiled last week was branded propaganda by campaigners.

A new project called Heathrow 2.0 pledges to make the airport into a centre of excellence for aviation, with a new runway eventually becoming carbon neutral.

After launching on Tuesday, February 28, airport bosses say it is a step towards creating a zero-carbon airport while it also promises to halve the number of flights after 11.30pm by 2022.

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” said Murray Barter, spokesman for Residents Against Aircraft Noise, who are campaigning fiercely against the airport’s expansion.

“Aviation will always struggle to cut carbon, because for example electric batteries that can power cars are too heavy for aircraft and therefore are not even on the drawing board.

“Heathrow 2.0 is nothing short of an attempted diversion away from the hard facts about aviation.

“About 95 per cent of carbon emissions are from the aircraft themselves, which it cannot address, not the terminals and buildings to which it relates.”

As part of the project, the airport has invested an initial £500,000 in a specialist incubator which they say will minimise noise and carbon emissions.

Airport chiefs say by the end of the year more funding resources will be identified so the incubator can open its doors by 2019.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow 2.0 is a step-change for our business and accelerates the shift in our industry towards a sustainable future for aviation.

“And we can create a future where our business, our people, our communities, our country and our world can all thrive.”

Mr Barter said this was how the Heathrow ‘propaganda’ machine operates, adding: “This is why Heathrow must be told that two runways is already intolerable for millions of people in London and the home counties and, following their own advice, a third runway ought to ruled out forever.

“History has incontrovertibly demonstrated that Heathrow’s promises only remain valid until the previous decision based upon them has been implemented.”