FOI - London air quality before and after ULEZ [Feb 2023]

Your request

1. The air quality of Greater London a) before the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and b) after the ULEZ. 
2. The air quality legal requirement a) for Greater London and b) by when it must be implemented. 

Our response

The GLA regularly reports on air quality trends in London. This reporting uses data from the city’s air quality monitoring network to analyse the long term trends in pollution 
concentrations.

The most recent modelling is the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI) 2019.

You can access the data on the London Datastore.

The GLA regularly reports on the air quality and vehicle reduction impacts of the ULEZ.

This reporting uses data from the city’s air quality monitoring network to analyse the long term trends in pollution concentrations as well as estimating the impacts of the scheme.

The reports include a detailed description of the methods used evaluate the impact of the ULEZ and have been peer reviewed.

You can read the most recent report on the GLA website and find links to the previous reports within.

The legal requirements for Greater London and the Mayor are set out in the Legal Comments section of the Mayoral Decision that confirmed the expansion of the London-wide ULEZ.

More information about the UK Air Quality Limits is available on the UK Air website.

Under the Environment Act 2021, the UK government has updated its air quality targets for 
fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as set out on the UK Air website.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA030223-9038.