London’s ULEZ Cuts NO2 by 27% After 2023 Expansion

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has witnessed a significant decrease in air pollution after its extension in August 2023. Fresh data published by the Mayor's Office reveal that nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels decreased by 27% in London in just one year.

First proposed in 2019, the ULEZ had already been charging high-emission vehicles to travel within inner London. The August 2023 expansion took the policy to all 32 London boroughs, touching the lives of around five million more people. Most pre-2015 diesels and pre-2006 petrols pay £12.50 a day under the policy if they are used within the zone.

The growth was aimed at cutting down pollution from vehicles and promoting cleaner transport. The new statistics reveal that it is succeeding. Since the 2023 expansion, NO₂ levels have plummeted and 99% of the zones monitored across London have seen better air quality since the initial ULEZ.

The findings are also of specific relevance considering the health hazards accredited to NO₂, a known pollutant primarily from older motor vehicle engines. The higher exposure has been associated with asthma, lung infections, impaired lung development in children, and even heart and cancer hazards.

Better air has advantages that go beyond healthy living. By making the urban environment more secure to walk, bike, and reside in, the policy has played a role in the construction of a habitable city. The better air has simplified living for residents, especially those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

But the policy has not been without controversy. Some residents, particularly low-income motorists, have complained about the cost of the per-day tariff. Many cannot afford to own cars and now restrict car use to only essential journeys. Protests have even been targeted at enforcement cameras mounted throughout the city to snap non-compliant cars.

Despite this criticism, authorities have maintained that the expansion was unavoidable. Mayor Sadiq Khan has justified the move, citing the need for every Londoner to breathe cleaner air as a paramount concern. The city also makes available resources to help people understand their vehicle's conformity and provides scrappage schemes to aid poor residents in exchanging high-emission cars.

The London ULEZ model is being closely observed by other world megacities. Berlin and Paris have already set up similar low-emission zones, and New York and Los Angeles are considering using the London model. London's success can become a template for emissions-based urban adjustment policy globally.

While environmental benefit is obvious, the question of social justice still exists. For environmentally sustainable green success, cities undertaking such initiatives have to reconcile environmental concerns with economic justice, protecting poorer citizens' interests from disproportionate and unjustified harm.

The data from the ULEZ illustrate the strength of good environmental policy to deliver immediate, tangible advantages. The example of London illustrates the strength of effective city action, if nurtured and perfected with caution, to serve public health as well as achieve more significant change.

Source & Credits:
Statistics from the Mayor of London's Office.