Mayor helps boroughs tackle toxic air with £5.3 million in new funding
- Mayor and TfL offer £5.3 million in support for boroughs to reduce PM and NO2 air pollution across London through the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund
- Boroughs can use the money on innovative schemes to improve air quality, such as promoting cleaner and greener public events and installing indoor air filtration systems
- Successful borough projects have already cut air pollution by tackling idling, reducing construction machinery emissions, installing electric vehicle charge points, creating new green spaces and more
- Boroughs are invited to apply for support by 19 January 2024, with projects expected to start by April 2024.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today encouraged boroughs to apply for a share of £5.3 million in new funding made available to support ambitious projects that reduce air pollution, protect public health, and make London a cleaner and healthier city for everyone.
The funding is part of the Mayor’s £27 million Air Quality Fund, which has been matched by more than £20 million in funding and resources from the boroughs and their partners. The Fund has already helped boroughs to cut pollution by introducing 25 new clean air routes in some of London’s busiest and most polluted neighbourhoods—helping pedestrians reduce their exposure to pollution by up to 60 per cent.
With the Mayor and Transport for London’s (TfL’s) support, boroughs have already:
- installed and upgraded over 400 electric vehicle chargers
- supported 5,300 businesses to reduce their emissions
- created over 3,000 square meters of new green spaces
- planted more than 250 trees
- installed over 1,300 cycle parking spaces
- repaired more than 750 bikes
- provided 17,000 pupils with resources and materials around improving air quality
This fourth round of funding aims to help boroughs to take action to reduce harmful particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, run more sustainable events, deliver projects to protect the most vulnerable Londoners from pollution exposure in locations such as schools and hospitals, and improve indoor air quality. The Mayor is encouraging boroughs to partner together to propose joint projects, building on the success of previous pan-London projects to tackle idling, reduce emissions from construction machinery, and create more green space.Boroughs are invited to apply by 5pm on 19 January 2024, with the projects expected to start by April 2024.
Projects supported by the first three funding rounds of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund have already demonstrated measurable benefits in improving air quality across London. The Camden Low Emission Neighbourhood delivered an estimated 28 per cent reduction in NOx emissions through interventions that included installing 19 electric vehicle charge points, improving pedestrian crossings, implementing three cycle lane schemes, and introducing dockless cycle hire bays and cycle hangars. Projects elsewhere have delivered measures such as timed road closures outside schools to improve safety and reduce students’ exposure to air pollution, and cargo bike loan and hire schemes to help businesses make the switch from polluting vehicles.
This complements the Mayor’s other ambitious air quality achievements, including the London-wide expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in August 2023. Just one month later, the number of older, more polluting vehicles in London has already dropped by nearly half, with 95 per cent of vehicles now compliant with the stringent ULEZ emissions standards. The Mayor and TfL are also working together to convert London’s bus fleet to be entirely emissions-free, having already delivered the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Western Europe*, as well as facilitating the transition to zero emissions for cars and vans with London having more than one third of all the UK’s electric vehicle charge points.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Air pollution in our city is damaging Londoners' health and I am determined to do all I can to tackle it.
“We’re looking for the next generation of ambitious, local, innovative projects to improve London’s air quality – so I encourage boroughs to get their thinking caps on, consider partnering up, and apply for this financial support by 19 January 2024.”
Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Strategy and Policy, said: “We are committed to cleaning up London’s toxic air and together with the Mayor of London, are looking forward to hearing from boroughs on innovative and creative ideas to support effective and bold schemes and initiatives already in place. These take many different forms, from the world leading London-wide ULEZ and LEZ zones, an ever-growing fleet of greener buses and taxis, expanding Cycleways and School Streets, and pioneering low emission neighbourhoods. London is leading the way globally in its drive to tackle pollution, paving the way for a more sustainable future and playing its part in addressing an international public health crisis.”
Andrew Gordon, Project Manager at Cleaner Construction for London said: “Thanks to the support of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund, Cleaner Construction for London successfully reduced construction site equipment emissions by 48 per cent. This shows what can be achieved with an innovative approach, support from the Mayor of London, and strong collaboration with London boroughs and the industry. Our project is now expanding to tackle polluting equipment beyond construction sites, partnering with large event organisers, road work, and waste sites. We challenge cities in the UK and worldwide to follow London's lead in promoting cleaner construction practices and improving air quality for all."
Notes to editors
- *https://www.c40.org/case-studies/london-powers-ahead-with-zero-emission-buses/
- More information about the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/mayors-air-quality-fund.
- The London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone First Month Report can be read here: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/environment-and-climate-change-publications/london-wide-ultra-low-emission-zone-first-month-report
Past projects supported by the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund include:
- The Becontree Low Emission Neighbourhood transformed The Fiddlers in Dagenham into a greener, healthier, and more welcoming neighbourhood while making it easier for people to move around by bike and on foot. The project engaged the local community to install a new parklet with seating, paint a new primary school crossing to make it safer for children to get to school, narrow junctions to calm traffic, deliver new cycle parking, and plant new bee corridor beds and trees. The project consulted almost 1,000 residents about the scheme, engaged over 200 students in sustainability, air quality, and street design workshops, and provided 750 bicycle repairs.
- The Walworth Low Emission Neighbourhood in Southwark led to an estimated 15 per cent reduction in car journeys in Walworth—one of London’s most diverse, yet deprived areas—providing traffic and pollution relief. Over 1,500 residents and 200 businesses and schools were consulted about the project, which helped to reduce rat-runs through residential areas, improve the flow of buses, create new green spaces, and encourage more people to walk, cycle and take public transport. In addition, Liverpool Grove was pedestrianised and transformed into a greener, cleaner community space, benefiting the local high street by making it a more attractive place to spend time and enjoy.
- The London-wide Idling Action project saw 31 local authorities join forces to reduce air pollution caused by motorists leaving their engines running while parked. The project ran over 100 community events and directly interacted with the drivers of more than 1,800 vehicles, 85 per cent of whom switched off their engines when asked. Over 17,000 students were engaged as air quality advocates who designed banners and delivered interventions to discourage idling. The anti-idling campaign engaged the community over 24 million times through media campaigns.
- The Healthy Streets Everyday project delivered lasting, transformative Streetscape improvements at more than 12 locations across 11 boroughs to develop pedestrian priority streets, increase walking and cycling, and reduce emissions and exposure to toxic air pollution. This included creating eight parklets, 260m2 of green space, and 680m2 of new public realm. The project also delivered cycle infrastructure improvements, including 16 standard cycle parking spaces, one secure cycle storage unit, and two cycle lane improvements. In addition to the permanent schemes the project supported over 250 shorter term pedestrianisation interventions and events, in order to raise awareness of the benefits of active travel. The scheme engaged over 76,000 people overall to make London a greener and healthier place to work and live.