London Mayor scraps zero-emissions plan following harsh criticism

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Financial Times
29 Aug 2023 17:56

After expanding ULEZ to cover all of London, London's Mayor has backed out of his zero-emissions policy due to backlash.

Demonstrators hold placards as they protest against the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London, outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London, United Kingdom, on July 28, 2023. (AFP)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has abandoned plans for a zero-emissions zone (ZEZ) in the city center amid harsh objection to his ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) project, a broader initiative aiming to encompass the entirety of London, the Financial Times revealed on Tuesday.

The mayor's office told FT that it had to let go of the ZEZ, vowing to put its efforts into achieving net zero emissions in London by 2030.

Sadiq's spokesperson revealed that individual London boroughs could go on to implement their own carbon emissions policies, which the mayor's transport department has promised to support.

The ULEZ policy obliges all car owners with internal combustion engines to pay extra fees, regardless of their emission levels, and it was scheduled to go into effect in 2025

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was introduced in London in 2019 in some parts of the city. Owners of vehicles that did not meet the ULEZ emissions standards were required to pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive in those areas. On August 29, 2023, the ULEZ was expanded to cover the entire city.

In addition to the ULEZ, central London also has a congestion charge zone. This zone operates Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, and requires drivers of all vehicles with internal combustion engines to pay a £15 daily fee.

Sadiq ignores scientists' warnings

Earlier, The Telegraph newspaper reported on August 20 that Khan's office tried to "silence" scientists who called into question the effectiveness of ULEZ.

The newspaper claimed that Shirley Rodrigues, the London Mayor’s deputy for environment and energy, sent an email in November 2021 to Imperial College London professor Frank Kelly, saying that she was "really disappointed" by scientists publishing results that cast doubt on the effectiveness of ULEZ.

In particular, Rodrigues said she was "deeply concerned" about the damage done to the credibility of the Mayor’s office and Ulez. In response, Kelly promised to write a ULEZ-friendly report, according to The Telegraph.

Kelly sent a statement to Rodrigues to check, which initially said actions by the Mayor were "collectively providing a major benefit to the city." She replied, crossing out the word "collectively" and she added that the Mayor’s schemes "have dramatically reduced air pollution in London."

The Telegraph revealed that since 2021, Kelly's research group has received over £800,000 pounds ($1.018 million) from the mayor's office. The pressure on representatives of the scientific community has made experts less ready to write any new material on ULEZ.