Clean Air Advocates Express Concern Over Mayor’s Priorities

Advocates for clean air have voiced apprehension that London Mayor Sadiq Khan may be diminishing the importance of addressing air pollution. They contend that Mayor Khan has redirected his attention towards water quality, raising worries that his third, and potentially final, term will not yield sufficient action to comply with the most recent World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for clean and safe air. Some assert that it would be “disastrous” if the mayor shifted focus to water when the “job on air is not done.” Conversely, City Hall stated that the mayor remains “totally committed” to clean air and aims to meet more stringent WHO regulations “as soon as possible.” Since his re-election in May, Mayor Khan has publicly addressed water quality on multiple occasions, frequently expressing his desire to achieve for the capital’s waterways “what we’ve done with clean air.” However, campaigners interpret this as a change in strategic direction at a time when efforts to combat climate change and improve air quality require intensified focus. “I think it definitely looks as if he is shifting on to water,” remarked Simon Birkett from Clear Air in London. “He shouldn’t. You can walk and chew gum at the same time.” Oliver Lord of the Clean Cities Campaign noted the presence of “rumbling frustration and uncertainty” that the political discourse appeared to be transitioning from air to water. “It is concerning that it could come across as ‘job done’. I am currently seeing a new road tunnel at Silvertown, and an exemption for electric vehicles paying the congestion charge being lifted, and I am not squaring that with being the right direction for the mayor.” Jenny Bates from Friends of the Earth commented: “The mayor still has much to do to end the scandal of London’s polluted air.” She added, “Urgent action is certainly needed to clean up the capital’s waterways, but it’s not ‘job done’ on air quality.” Mr. Birkett is among those who speculate that a potential reason for this shift could be that the mayor was affected by the political repercussions and financial cost of expanding Ulez to outer London – which has yielded a modest impact on reducing air pollution and carbon emissions. Subsequent to the expansion, Mayor Khan excluded from his manifesto the possibility of smart “pay-per-mile” road-user charging and further modifications to Ulez. “He was too defensive during the mayoral election campaign, got boxed in on road-pricing and emissions measures and has not left himself with much flexibility,” Mr. Birkett contended. Nevertheless, City Hall stated that the mayor had articulated clearly that despite substantial advancements since 2016, “more needs to be done to ensure Londoners are breathing cleaner air.” At present, 1,700 of London’s 9,000 buses operate on electricity, and the mayor has committed to transitioning the entire fleet to zero-emission status by 2030. City Hall reported ongoing efforts concerning optimizing air quality in new constructions, providing air quality filters to 200 of London’s schools most affected by pollution, fostering active travel like walking and cycling, and channeling investment into environmentally friendly sectors. Additionally, the mayor has pledged 40,000 electric charging points by 2030. This raises the question of what further actions remain to be addressed. A primary indicator of London’s adherence to global air pollution standards involves nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations. Over recent years, the majority of average annual roadside NO2 levels have remained beneath the 40 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) threshold, with projections indicating that by the upcoming year, no roadways would exceed this limit. Nevertheless, the WHO has subsequently revised its recommendations, establishing a reduced “interim” threshold of 20 ug/m3, and ultimately a 10 ug/m3 limit, with the aim of mitigating the health consequences of air pollution. Advocates are now inquiring if strategies are still in place to achieve these updated limits. “It would be disastrous to take his eye off the ball when the WHO has slashed its air quality guidelines,” Mr. Birkett stated. City Hall indicated its efforts were directed towards implementing the adjustments “as soon as possible,” adding that a “technical evaluation” was in progress to ascertain the feasibility of such implementation. During the summer, an evaluation of the capital’s trajectory towards net zero and clean air was also conducted by advocacy organizations. The assessment revealed that despite the mayor achieving “great progress” in air quality, traffic levels and vehicle mileage were “going in the wrong direction,” though they had not yet surpassed pre-pandemic figures. The Department for Transport reported that in 2023, vehicles covered 19.2 billion miles across London’s 9,200 miles of roadways. Advocates contend that London ought to adopt more assertive policies to limit freight vehicles and cars based on their weight within central London, mirroring approaches implemented in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. Mr. Birkett commented: “He should set an aim for London to be diesel-free by 2030 and demand new powers from central government to control building emissions.” Mr. Lord expressed apprehension that initiatives to establish central London as a zero-emission zone by phasing out diesel vehicles next year had been put aside. City Hall stated that Khan was collaborating with the government, borough councils, businesses, and other interested parties, but required governmental assistance to implement and finance his 2030 net-zero objective for London.