Tackling London’s toxic air: The Ultra Low Emission Zone
Today marks the launch of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which is part of the Mayor of London’s bold action to reduce toxic air pollution and protect Londoners’ health.
The central London ULEZ will help clean up London’s dangerously polluted air and now operates in the same area as the current Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ). Vehicles that drive in the ULEZ will need to meet tough new emissions standards or pay a daily charge. The ULEZ applies every day of the year, 24 hours a day, and has replaced the T-Charge. Drivers can check if their vehicles meet the ULEZ emissions standards, and see which discounts, exemptions and payment options apply at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ULEZ.
It is expected that the introduction of the ULEZ will reduce road transport NOx emissions by around 45% in central London. The Mayor’s wider package of air quality measures, including cleaning up TfL’s buses, no longer licensing diesel taxis, and expanding the ULEZ to inner London in 2021 will cut emissions further. This will help to reduce the number of schools in illegally polluted areas from over 450 down to zero in 2025. It will also help reduce the gap in pollution levels between the most and least deprived areas.
The positive effects of cleaner air will be especially beneficial to the young, older people and those who have respiratory problems, as well as residents of high pollution areas.
Find out more on the Tfl website where you can check your vehicle and find out more about where and why it‘s taking place.
The Mayor of London has also announced a bold new £23 million scrappage scheme to help tackle London’s air quality crisis and help micro-businesses and charities prepare for the ULEZ. Find out more about the van scrappage scheme here.
Any money received from the ULEZ will be reinvested into making London’s air cleaner, including TfL’s work to provide cleaner buses across the capital.
The Euston Green Link
The Euston Green Link is a prime example of how we are reacting to the rising challenge of air pollution in Central London. It’s situated within the Ultra Low Emission Zone and will connect Euston Station and Regents Park, offering a lower-exposure route that avoids Euston Road and instead meanders through a fascinating independent business community with aromatic Indian cuisine, pubs, lunch time deals and other amenities.
We’ve already injected the route with a pocket park, a planting scheme and way-finding and we’re in the process of introducing public art and a green wall to encourage commuters and visitors to use the route. We’ve also hosted sustainable cookery workshops with environmental charity Hubbub, and back in June, we were involved in the Under Her Eye climate change summit hosted at the British Library. We partnered with Invisible Dust for a weekend of workshops, talks and creative, open discussions about climate change — positioning women at the forefront.
Watch this space for updates and more exciting projects reacting to, and raising awareness of air quality!
Read more about the Euston Green Link here.
