Ultra-Low Vehicle Emissions in London

By Shanna Edberg
February 1, 2017

London mayor Sadiq Khan is planning to create an Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, by 2019. The zone will be an area in central London “within which all cars, motorcycles, vans, minibuses, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) will need to meet exhaust emission standards (ULEZ standards) or pay a daily charge to travel.” The measure is an attempt to alleviate London’s emissions of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which are above legal limits, and to help London fulfill its greenhouse gas targets. The move would reduce the number of people living in an area that exceeds air quality limits by 70%, which includes hundreds of schools, hospitals, and low-income neighborhoods. The city is also offering grants to help people switch to low-emission vehicles. Because the majority of vehicles that drive within the zone are from outside the zone, the benefits of reducing motor vehicle pollution will have an effect beyond just the ULEZ.

Climate Protection: Lowers carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles Energy & Mobility: Promotes the adoption of low-emissions vehicles Health, Well-Being, & Safety: Improves air quality Connection: Makes London more pleasant to live and work

This post is part of a series on examples of multisolving, or climate-smart policies that simultaneously work to mitigate climate change while providing co-benefits such as the ones described above. The multiple benefits analysis was done using the FLOWER framework.