City of London nitrogen dioxide drops by 42% in five years
New City of London Corporation figures show a 42% drop in Square Mile nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels since 2016. The statistics, confirmed by air quality monitors at Beech Street, The Aldgate School and Walbrook Wharf, show a year-on-year improvement over the last five years, due to a range of air quality measures in place and […]
Portsmouth City Council launches charging clean air zone
The government-mandated charging clean air zone (CAZ) in Portsmouth has now been launched by the city council. The Portsmouth CAZ is a class B, meaning that ‘non-compliant’ vehicles will be issued a daily charge to drive in the zone. For the Portsmouth CAZ ‘non-compliant’ vehicles are buses, coaches, taxi, private hire vehicles and heavy goods […]
Reducing exposure to polluted air needs a personalised approach, says Imperial College
A more ‘personalised’ approach is needed to reduce people’s exposure to polluted air, says an Imperial expert. Dr Benjamin Barratt, Deputy Director of the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London, says there is a perception amongst some of the public that poor air quality is a general problem, solely requiring government interventions, but in reality […]
London’s ULEZ leads to small initial improvements, says Imperial College report
London’s ULEZ reduced the city’s nitrogen dioxide levels by a few per cent during the first few weeks of its implementation. This is according to a study by Imperial College London researchers who say their findings highlight that ULEZs are not a silver bullet and that sustained improvements in air pollution require multiple measures. Between 2016 and 2020, […]
Cleaner air could have saved at least 178,000 lives across the EU in 2019
Air pollution continued to cause a significant burden of premature death and disease in Europe in 2019. A European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, published this week, shows that improving air quality to the levels recently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) could prevent more than half of the premature deaths caused by exposure to […]
Time is running out for governments to invest in cleaner transport, says C40 group of mayors
Time is running out for government investment in cleaner transport around the world, according to the C40 group of city mayors, headed by London Mayor, Sadiq Khan. A report by the group for COP206 said that 3000,000 jobs could be created if London’s public transport network was ‘greened’ to help reduce emissions in line with […]
Transport will be the sector that presents the biggest challenge to meeting emission targets, according to Irish minister
Transport will be the sector that presents the biggest challenge to meeting new emission targets in Ireland, according to its Transport Minister Eamon Ryan. The Government launched its ambitious Climate Action Plan this week, which aims to have 500,000 more walking, cycling and public transport journeys a day by 2030 as well as a target […]
Go-Ahead buys its first zero emission hydrogen buses
The Go-Ahead Group has signed a contract to buy its first hydrogen powered buses, as part of a deal which could become the largest of its kind in Europe. Brighton & Hove and Metrobus has ordered 20 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from Wrightbus, the Northern Irish manufacturer, for deployment on the Fastway routes in the […]
New campaign urges London’s drivers: save lives and cut carbon emissions by switching off engines when parked
A London-wide advertising campaign has launched today in a bid to cut air pollution and carbon emissions. Led by the City of London Corporation and Camden Council, and funded by the Mayor of London, the ‘Engine Off, Every Stop’ campaign features posters, bus rears, and billboards on roadside sites and petrol stations across the capital. Drivers are also […]
Air pollution in Winchester falls below pre-pandemic levels
Air pollution in Winchester has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, according to the council. Although the number of cars coming into the city is back to pre-pandemic levels the morning and evening rush hours are now less intense, reducing pollution. Cllr Martin Tod, Cabinet member for economic recovery, told full Council: “Car parking and traffic levels […]