“Every Londoner has the right to breathe clean air” Centre for London responds to City Hall research

Responding to new research on air quality from City Hall, Claire Harding, Research Director at Centre for London said:

“Every Londoner has the right to breathe clean air. But we know that Londoners living in the most deprived areas of the city are exposed to around a quarter more NO2 pollution than those living in the wealthiest areas. Air quality is a matter of equity.

“Consecutive mayors have implemented policies to tackle London’s air pollution, resulting in a substantial reduction in the number of Londoners living in areas exceeding legal NO2 limits. But it is simply unacceptable that tens of thousands of Londoners still breathe illegally polluted air. 

“Road vehicles are the single biggest cause of London’s air pollution and the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone later this month is much needed to improve air quality across the city. But Transport for London should go further and adopt a pay-per-mile road user charging scheme which would deliver cleaner air, increase walking and cycling, and reduce congestion, as well as provide a substantial income stream to help plug TfL’s finances.”