5 times greater reduction in NO2 in London than rest of the country

New data shows reduction in levels of toxic NO₂ in London is five times greater than reduction in rest of the country

• Mayor of London responds to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s (EFRA) call for evidence scrutinising the Government’s air quality strategy
• Measurements reveal the reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in central London is five times greater than the national reduction average
• Sadiq calls on Ministers to follow London’s lead and immediately amend the Environment Bill to give UK cities more powers and funding.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today published new evidence which shows since he took office in 2016 the scale of reduction in toxic NO₂ has been five times greater in central London than the national average. 

This new data is being submitted as part of London’s response to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s (EFRA) call for evidence scrutinising the Government’s air quality strategy. The Government’s own data shows just how little progress has been made outside London in the same period, demonstrating the significant improvements in London have been driven by local (as opposed to national) policy.

Sadiq has made huge strides in cleaning up London’s air, including introducing the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London. In 2020, before measures to address the COVID outbreak were introduced, hourly average levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO₂ ) at all monitoring sites in central London had already reduced by 44 per cent since 2017. In 2016, London’s air exceeded the hourly legal limit for nitrogen dioxide for over 4,000 hours. Last year, this fell to just over 100 hours – a reduction of 97 per cent.

London has also seen additional improvements in air quality during the coronavirus lockdown as traffic fell to around half pre-lockdown levels. As London starts to recover, our challenge will be to eradicate air pollution permanently. We must build on the success of policies such as ULEZ – and Londoners agree. A recent YouGov poll* revealed overwhelming support for measures to protect health by tackling air pollution emissions from cars. Nearly nine in ten Londoners are in favour of measures to reduce car emissions and use.

Poor air quality stunts the growth of children’s lungs and worsens chronic illness, such as asthma, lung and heart disease. There is also emerging evidence linking air pollution with an increased vulnerability to the most severe impacts of COVID-19 – with those often most affected being from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. 

The submission also shows:  

• London, with some of the most complex air pollution problems in the UK, can achieve WHO PM2.5 targets by 2030, but Government is still refusing to include these as legally binding targets for the entire country in the Environment Bill.
• The Mayor’s plans to improve air quality could avoid 295,000 new cases of disease and 1.1 million hospital visits by 2050. This would lead to an estimated £5bn in savings for the NHS.
• Action to improve air quality can also deliver wider benefits: for instance the requirement for new London taxis to be Zero Emission Capable led to private sector investment of over £300m and the creation of over a thousand new jobs in Coventry. Plans to transform London’s bus fleet to zero emissions will help secure 3,000 green jobs in the North, Scotland and Northern Ireland
• At the same time successive Governments have failed to live up to their promises. The Clean Air Strategy was released more than 18 months ago and has not yet borne any visible fruit, and the Environment Bill does almost nothing to help reduce air pollution in the future.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m proud of the dramatic improvement in London’s air quality since I was elected as Mayor, with reductions in roadside NO₂ in the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone that are five times greater than the national average.

“Today’s response shows the scale of improvement that is possible when policies are ambitious and city leaders have proper powers they can use. National Government now needs to match London’s level of ambition and provide additional powers through the Environment Bill to cities across the country.

“Here in London, we are not complacent and know there is still more to do. Pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why in October 2021 I am expanding the ULEZ to the North and South circular, improving the lives and health of Londoners for years to come. I want to go further, but can only do this with the Government’s support and a bold new Environment Bill.”

Since he became Mayor, Sadiq has:

• Introduced the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone in 2019, resulting in 13,500 fewer polluting vehicles driving in the zone every day and toxic NO₂ levels falling by 44 percent in the zone.
• Delivered 12 Low Emission Bus Zones ahead of schedule, cutting bus-related NOx emissions by an average of 90 per cent in the zone.
• Worked with schools in some of the most polluted areas of London to reduce children's exposure to air pollution.
• Transformed London's taxi fleet by no longer licensing new diesel taxis. There are now over 3,000 electric taxis on London’s streets.
• Set up a £48m scrappage fund available to help small businesses, low-income and disabled Londoners switch to cleaner vehicles.
• Almost tripled the amount of protected space for cycling
• Pledged to make the capital carbon neutral by 2030, 20 years earlier than the Government’s target.

Director of the UK100 network, Polly Billington, said: “These figures show how local leadership can make the difference in tackling polluted air. London’s example should inspire other cities to match their ambitions. But it will require new powers and resources from central government along with a cast iron commitment in the Environment Bill to cutting air pollution to safer WHO levels by 2030.”

UKRI Clean Air Champion and Special Advisor on Air Quality for the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Stephen Holgate, said: “This is an outstanding achievement by the Mayor of London in producing such dramatic reductions in toxic NO2. It goes to show what can be achieved if the determination is translated to practical interventions on the ground. What we all now need to see is Government matching this ambition and giving cities across the country additional powers through the Environment Bill so that as a country we can go further and faster in eliminating toxic air.”