Official estimates suggest that over 3,000 deaths each year in London are attributable to air pollution. That’s 7% of all adult deaths in the capital, and second only to smoking as an environmental cause of death. 

In April the Supreme Court ordered the Government to take immediate action to tackle the dangerously high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) found in the UK.

Diesel exhaust is a major contributor to air pollution. Diesel road traffic is responsible for 40% of London’s emissions of nitrogen oxides (which include NO2).

A report from the London Assembly Environment Committee: ‘Driving away from diesel: Reducing air pollution from diesel vehicles’ - examines London’s efforts to reduce pollution from diesel cars, lorries, buses and taxis. 

The report makes recommendations to ensure NO2 compliance in London as soon as possible, in order to clean up the capital’s air quality.

The recommendations include:

• The Mayor should introduce the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) before 2020 and the zone should be wider and stronger.

• The Government should take forward the Mayor’s proposal for a scrappage scheme linked to replacing non-compliant vehicles with low-emission vehicles.

• The Mayor should set out - following consultation with the taxi industry - how zero-emission capable taxis will be available from 2018 and how the necessary infrastructure (rapid charging network and/or hydrogen stations) will be delivered.

• The Mayor should work closely with the boroughs and national government to show how the whole of London could achieve compliance with European air pollution limits by 2020.