I was pleased to see that the Committee on Climate Change has recently advised the Government that its proposed ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars should be brought forward. Under current plans it will come into force by 2040, but the Committee says it should happen at least a decade sooner.
This echoes the recommendations made last summer by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is taking stringent action on dangerous emissions through the roll out of the Central London Ultra Low Emission Zone and electric bus and black cab fleets across the capital.
With air pollution contributing to the premature deaths of around 10,000 Londoners per year, alongside causing other serious health problems, the transition to electric vehicles on our roads cannot come soon enough.
However, to facilitate this shift, we need the necessary infrastructure and incentives to be put in place. This is why I am urging local people to nominate locations in the community for the installation of electric charging points through the PowerMyStreet website.
We should also avoid using cars wherever possible. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy is promoting a ‘Healthy Streets’ approach, which aims for 80% of journeys in London to be made on foot, by bicycle or on public transport by 2031.