Reducing London's Exposure to Air Pollution

“The Assembly welcomes the ruling of the High Court on the recent case brought by ClientEarth against the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for her failure to draw up and implement plans that would ensure that nitrogen dioxide (N02) limit values are met and exposure to air pollution reduced within the shortest time possible1.

The Mayor of London, is an interested party, and supports the position of ClientEarth.

The Assembly notes the High Court’s criticisms of the arbitrary 2025 compliance date chosen for London and the mistaken reliance on the ‘computer programme to calculate emissions from road transport’ or ‘COPERT’. The Assembly also notes a requirement for the Secretary of State to choose a route to reduce exposure, not just meet limit values.

The Assembly welcomes the Mayor’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and T-charge proposals to reduce London’s air pollution.

The Assembly calls on the Mayor to commission a study to assess the potential of a range of further measures to reduce London’s exposure to air pollution.”