Ultra Low Emission Zone and Good Work Standard

Leonie Cooper AM proposed, and Elly Baker AM seconded, the following motion:

“This Assembly welcomes the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) up to the North Circular Road and South Circular Road.

The current ULEZ has contributed to a 44% reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide within its existing boundary and in 2019 the number of state schools in the zone with illegal levels of pollution fell by 97 per cent compared to 2016.

Alongside other Mayoral policies on air quality, the expanded ULEZ is projected to avoid almost 300,000 new cases of air-quality related diseases and over 1 million hospital admissions Londonwide by 2050. These policies will also reduce the pollution “exposure gap” between the most and least deprived areas by 71 per cent and between the areas with the highest and lowest proportion of BAME residents by up to 85 per cent.

Given the environmental and health benefits of the expanded ULEZ, the Assembly supports programmes such as the Mayor’s scrappage schemes to ensure residents and businesses are encouraged to make the transition to ULEZ compliant vehicles. This Assembly recognises the Mayor has invested £61 million of funding to support businesses and disabled and low-income Londoners to scrap older, more polluting vehicles and calls on the government to support the Mayor and stop the exclusion of London from its Clean Air Fund.

In order to further encourage businesses to make this transition, the Assembly calls on the Mayor to make having a statement of intent and delivery plan to achieve a ULEZ and LEZ compliant vehicle fleet a condition of accreditation for the Good Work Standard.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote the motion was agreed, with 14 votes being cast in favour and 6 votes being cast against.