Data From Mayor’s Office Shows Effects of ULEZ Expansion

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31 July 2024

A report detailing the effects of the first six months of the ULEZ expansion shows that pollutant emissions in 2023 reduced dramatically.

In the outer London ULEZ area, NOx emissions from cars and vans are projected to be 13 per cent and 7 per cent lower, respectively, compared to a scenario without the expansion. This is equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road for a year. PM2.5 exhaust emissions from cars in outer London are estimated to be 22 per cent lower than without the expansion.

Roadside air quality in London has also improved at a faster rate than the average for the rest of England.  In 2014, the difference in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels between London and the rest of England was 20 µg/m3. Today, this gap has narrowed to less than 5 µg/m3.

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone was expanded to include all London boroughs from 29 August 2023, meaning those driving a non-compliant vehicle pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive within the zone.

The change wasn’t popular with everyone, with some concerned about the negative implications for a large proportion of motorists. The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) urged the Mayor of London to impose a 12-month delay to the expanded scheme to help businesses in the building materials supply industry reliant on lorries and vans, as well as their SME builder customers, prepare for the change.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The decision to expand the ULEZ London-wide was a difficult one, but necessary to save lives, protect children’s lungs and help reduce the risk of Londoners developing asthma, dementia and a host of other health issues. Today’s report shows that the ULEZ is working even better than expected. The expansion to outer London is already having a significant effect – driving down levels of pollution, taking old polluting cars off our roads and bringing cleaner air to millions more Londoners.”

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah CBE, mother of Ella Roberta Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the world to have her death directly attributed to air pollution. said: “I am encouraged and pleased to see that the 6 month analysis shows that expanding the ULEZ to outer London has reduced air pollution. People’s health, particularly children’s, should always be prioritised by society, and I hope politicians and decision-makers will continue to clean up London’s air so that everyone, regardless of where they live in the city, can breathe clean, safe air.”

Picture: a photograph showing a traffic queue of various cars. Image Credit: Pixabay

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 31 July 2024

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