Air pollution is the world’s largest environmental health risk, killing about seven million people every year.
The ULEZ is being implemented almost exactly 10 years after ‘Clean Air in London’ (CAL) called for such a ‘Berlin-style’ inner low emission zone in London.
Air pollution monitor in the Strand has reported 18/18 exceedances of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) hourly limit value. Brixton Road monitor has reported 15/18 (having been offline until 12 March). Legal limit for the whole of 2019 is likely to be breached soon. Widespread breaches of World Health Organisation guideline and legal limit for NO2 annual mean in London.
Clean Air in London (CAL) urges Mayor Khan to make the ULEZ bigger, stronger and smarter
Air pollution is the world’s largest environmental health risk, killing about seven million people every year.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) pollution charge is another important step therefore on the path to banning diesel and transforming London into a healthier, quieter and even more wonderful city! The steps being taken today are the modern equivalent of banning coal and wood burning so successfully after the Clean Air Act 1956 to tackle the visible smog of the 1950s.
Pre-Euro 6 diesel vehicles and others, up to and including 3.5 tonnes, will be required to pay £12.50 per day (24/7), on top of the £11.50 congestion charge (7am to 6pm Monday to Friday), to enter the Central London Congestion Charging Zone from Monday 8 April 2019. Lorries (over 3.5 tonnes) and buses/coaches (over 5 tonnes) will have to pay £100. The ULEZ replaces the T-Charge which has used a Euro 4 standard for diesel and petrol cars. It is in addition to the Low Emission Zone charge or ban (24/7). Full details at https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone.
Boris Johnson announced the ULEZ scheme on 26 March 2015 with an implementation date of 7 September 2020. On 3 November 2017, Sadiq Khan announced that it would be brought forward by 17 months to 8 April 2019. It was necessary to bring forward the ULEZ: to protect public health and comply with legal limits; because it had already been weakened and delayed by Boris Johnson; in response to increasing evidence of the health impacts of air pollution; and following the revelations in September 2015 and subsequently of vehicle manufacturers cheating on diesel emission standards.
The ULEZ targets diesel vehicles which are responsible for some 95% of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from road transport exhaust in Central London. NOx emissions are the main source of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic gas, which is subject to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to protect public health.
NO2 annual mean concentrations exceed the WHO guideline and legal limit in many parts of London and are more than twice that level in places. These legal limits have been in place since 1999 to be complied with by 1 January 2010. NO2 hourly concentrations in the Strand and Brixton Road have recently reached 18/18 and 15/18 exceedances respectively allowed for the whole of 2019. A legal breach is expected soon.
The ULEZ will expand to the inner London area, bounded by the north and south circular roads, on 25 October 2021. As an emission measure it targets pollution and has a second order benefit of reducing congestion and complements congestion charging which does the opposite.
Important ULEZ statistics for 2019 (from GLA documents)
- NOx exhaust emissions from road transport reduced by around 45% in Central London.
- Proportion of Central London road kilometres exceeding NO2 limit values at roadside reduced from 82% to 70% i.e. 15% reduction (and 11% London-wide).
- Proportion of population living in Central exceeding NO2 limits reduced from 35% to 20%.
- 4% reduction in population-weighted NO2 annual mean concentrations in Central London.
- Number of sensitive locations in Central London exceeding NO2 limit value reduced from 78 to 54.
- Diesel vehicles responsible for about 95% of NOx emissions from road transport in Central London.
Quotes
Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London (CAL), said:
“London has been famous for having some of the highest concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the world due to diesel emissions.
“The ULEZ is another important step on the path to banning diesel vehicles in London as we banned coal and wood burning so successfully in 1956.
“It is one of the most significant vehicle emission measures announced and implemented in London since Ken Livingstone confirmed Phases 3 and 4 of the London-wide Low Emission Zone on 9 May 2007. By coincidence, the ULEZ is being implemented almost exactly 10 years after ‘Clean Air in London’ (CAL) called formally for such a ‘Berlin-style’ inner low emission zone in London in a presentation to King’s College London’s annual conference on air quality.
“The ULEZ is valuable in its own right for public health but it will surely have played a significant role, alongside the ‘Dieselgate’ revelations, in triggering the collapse of sales of diesel cars and increase in sales of electric vehicles.
“CAL urges the Mayor to make the ULEZ bigger, stronger and smarter. He should make the ULEZ:
- Bigger by extending it in further waves or phases in central, inner and outer London;
- Stronger by requiring: Euro 6 vehicles to demonstrate full on-road compliance with the latest test standard for ‘Real Driving Emissions’; electric vehicles; and then diesel bans by January 2024; and
- Smarter by replacing the ‘blunt’ LEZ, ULEZ, congestion charge and other schemes by ‘Emissions Based Road Charging’ which would be simpler, smarter and fairer.
“The Mayor must also do more to stop cheating by vehicle operators, businesses and others of emission standards. This should be done by real-world monitoring along busy roads and providing a phone number or app for people to report smoky and idling vehicles.
“All these efforts to tackle carcinogenic diesel emissions should be complemented by investment in public transport and active travel e.g. walking and cycling. The Mayor also needs to address the other main sources of pollution in London which include energy emissions from buildings and wood burning.
“Sadiq Khan should be applauded for making the fight against air pollution one of his top priorities. His actions contrast sharply with Boris Johnson who spent eight years taking backward steps or delaying action on air pollution. But Sadiq must do more to deliver on his election manifesto mandate to ‘restore London’s air quality to legal and safe levels’.
“We also need a London that will take a lead by:
- helping to enshrine the human right to clean air in UK and international law so we do not have to wait another 10 years for a similar pollution scheme!;
- achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including their indicators and targets e.g. By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic [collisions] (3.7);
- fulfilling the commitments made to the World Health Organisation’s #BreatheLife campaign;and
- stopping relying on the Government to decarbonise energy grids to deliver 45% of the emissions reductions needed for London to become zero carbon by 2050.
“Looking further ahead, with carbon dioxide concentrations already well over 400 parts per million and following the publication of the IPCC’s special report on ‘Global Warming of 1.5oC’, all the signs point to a ban on all fossil fuel burning in London by 2030 or soon thereafter.
“These steps will transform London and make it a world leader in sustainability.”
ENDS
Notes
- Timeline
24 April 2009 Clean Air in London calls formally for a Berlin-style inner low emission zone for London in a presentation at King’s College London’s annual conference https://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/LAQNSeminar/pdf/april2009/Simon_Birkett_Inner_Low_Emission_Zone_for_London.pdf
CAL 375 Simon_Birkett_Inner_Low_Emission_Zone_for_London
26 March 2015 Mayor Johnson approves Ultra Low Emission Zone for September 2020
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/ultra-low-emission-zone
17 February 2017 Mayor Khan confirms T-Charge from 23 October 2017
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-introduces-10-toxicity-charge
23 October 2017 T-Charge commences (‘Emissions Surcharge’)
- Euro 4/IV for petrol and diesel
- Euro 3 for motorised tricycles and quadricycles
3 November 2017 Mayor Khan confirms ULEZ will start earlier from 8 April 2019
8 June 2018 Mayor Khan confirms extension of ULEZ to north/south circular from 25 October 2021
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/ultra-low-emission-zone
8 April 2019 ULEZ starts in central London (24/7/365) – Euro 6/VI diesel
- £12.50 cars, vans and motorcycles up to and including 3.5 tonnes
- £100 including lorries over 3.5 tonnes and buses/coaches over 5 tonnes
7 May 2020 London Mayoral election
26 October 2020 Emission standards for the LEZ will change – Euro VI for buses and coaches over 5 tonnes and lorries over 3.5 tonnes https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone/changes-to-the-lez
26 October 2021 ULEZ extends to north/south circular
- ULEZ resources
Mayor’s media release
LAEI2016_NO2_AnnualMean_2016_GreaterLondon
LAEI2016_NOx_AnnualMean_2016_GreaterLondon
LAEI2016_PM10_AnnualMean_2016_GreaterLondon
LAEI2016_PM10d_NoDover50_2016_GreaterLondon
Evidence
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/ultra-low-emission-zone
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/environment/air-quality-consultation-phase-3a/
Maps
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-where-and-when?intcmp=54312
Scrappage scheme (£3,500 or £6,000)
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/scrappage-scheme
London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory 2016
https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory–laei–2016
- Important ULEZ statistics
- NOx exhaust emissions from road transport reduced by around 45% in Central London.
- Proportion of Central London road kilometres exceeding NO2 limit values at roadside reduced from 82% to 70% i.e. 15% reduction (and 11% London-wide).
- Proportion of population living in Central exceeding NO2 limits reduced from 35% to 20%.
- 4% reduction in population-weighted NO2 annual mean concentrations in Central London.
- Number of sensitive locations in Central London exceeding NO2 limit value reduced from 78 to 54.
- Diesel vehicles responsible for about 95% of NOx emissions from road transport in Central London.
- Other schemes
Congestion charge £11.50 per day (0700/1800 Monday to Friday)
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge
Low Emission Zone Euro 4/IV (PM) for buses, coaches and lorries and Euro 3 (PM) for vans/minibuses
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone?intcmp=2261
PHVs Lose exemption from paying the congestion charge (but some Euro 6 hybrid PHV’s will be eligible for the Cleaner Vehicle Discount until October 2021)
https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/phvs-and-the-congestion-charge
Taxis Zero emission capable and age limits
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tph/taxi-age-limits/
T-charge Replaced by ULEZ on 8 April 2019
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/emissions-surcharge
Other measures https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/mayors-ultra-low-emission-zone-london
- Health
World Health Organisation guidelines for ambient air quality
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/poor-air-quality-aggrevates-london-asthmatics#
https://www.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr213_E.pdf
https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/global-environment-outlook-6
- Air pollution levels
Exceedances of annual mean concentrations for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) so far in 2019
https://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/publicstats.asp
Exceedances of annual mean concentrations for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) so far in 2019
https://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/publicstats.asp
Marylebone Road – 72 mg/m3 at as 5 April 2019
Oxford Street East – 65 mg/m3 as at 5 April 2019
Strand (Northbank BID) – 87 mg/m3 and 18/18 NO2 hourly exceedances as at 5 April 2019
Walbrook Wharf – 79 mg/m3 as at 5 April 2019
Lambeth – Brixton Road – 96 mg/m3 and 15/18 NO2 hourly exceedances as at 5 April 2019
Putney High Street – 75 mg/m3 as at 5 April 2019
Air Quality England
https://www.airqualityengland.co.uk/local-authority/?la_id=999
Oxford Street – highest NO2 concentrations in the World?
https://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/news.asp?NewsId=OxfordStHighNO2
- Clean Air in London research
Emissions Based Road Charging (15 June 2015)
Emissions-based charging by 2018 and paid to walk or cycle by 2020
Boris takes backwards steps on his own ULEZ (29 July 2014)
Sadiq Khan’s manifesto 2016
Low emission zones in Europe
http://urbanaccessregulations.eu
Berlin Low Emission Zone (by 31/3SPrin/19 issue and order for Euro 6 diesel in June 2019)
http://urbanaccessregulations.eu/countries-mainmenu-147/germany-mainmenu-61/berlin
What is a Berlin-type Clean Air Zone? (27 June 2011)
- Ongoing failures of diesel emission standards
Cars with engines: Can they ever be clean? (Transport and Environment, September 2018)
https://www.transportenvironment.org/publications/cars-engines-can-they-ever-be-clean
‘Allow Independent Road-testing’
https://www.allowair.org/2019/04/04/ulez-press-release-190408/
Euro 6 engine emission standards
http://urbanaccessregulations.eu/low-emission-zones-main/what-emissions-standard-is-my-vehicle
Emission standards (note different Euro 6 standards)
https://dieselnet.com/standards/eu/ld.php
Retrofit and other schemes in Germany
Cheating standards
British lorry operators found to be cheating diesel emissions
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/motoring/new-mot-test-rule-changes-14222700
- Diesel sales
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/05/uk-car-sales-petrol-diesel
- IPCC special report: Global warming of 1.5oC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45775309
Caroline Russell’s Mayor Question on London Plan and carbon reduction targets (18 January 2018)
https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2018/0107
- Diesel bans in other cities
Amsterdam wants to only allow emissions-free vehicles by 2030
Athens joined pledge to ban diesel cars by 2025
Brussels hopes to ban all diesel vehicles by 2030
Copenhagen discourages driving – Danish ban on sale of new petrol and diesel from 2030
Numerous German restrictions e.g. Berlin, Frankfurt etc
Madrid banned older cars from its city centre in December 2018
Milan is rolling out a series of bans. Goal is diesel free by 2030
Oslo’s city centre is on its way to becoming car-free
Rome has pledged to ban diesel from its city centre by 2024
https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/challenges-for-achieving-clean-air
- Wood burning and Combined Heat and Power
https://www.londonair.org.uk/LondonAir/guide/WoodBurning.aspx
