Air quality
Clearing London's air
Every Londoner deserves to breathe clearer air. Together with the Mayor of London, we are committed to reducing the impact of polluting road vehicles.
London's air quality
A lot of progress has been made, but there's still more work to do. The volume of road transport emissions in London makes it one of the most polluted places in the UK.
How road transport harms our health
Road vehicles are the single biggest cause of London's air pollution. They produce nearly half of all nitrogen oxides and emit tiny particles of rubber and metal - too small to see with the naked eye - into the air we breathe.
Londoners are developing life-changing illnesses such as cancer, asthma and lung disease. Recent reports show a link between air pollution and an increased risk of developing dementia.
More than 500,000 Londoners live with asthma and are more vulnerable to the impact of toxic air - over half of these people live in outer London boroughs. Air pollution even contributes to the premature death of thousands of Londoners every year.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has already made a significant difference. Since it launched in central London in 2019, it has helped cut the number of older, polluting vehicles on the road.
It has also helped to reduce harmful roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations by 21% in outer London, 53% in central London and 24% in inner London. This is compared to a scenario without the ULEZ and its expansions in place. See the London-wide ULEZ expansion 6 month report (July 2024).
Despite this progress, more needs to be done since the greatest number of deaths related to air pollution occur in outer London areas. This is why the ULEZ operates across all London boroughs to help 5 million more people in outer boroughs have clearer air to breathe too.
Calculations showing more deaths in outer London being linked to air pollution were based on the most recently available statistics from the Office of National Statistics and assessed according to standard practice in the scientific community. See Deaths registered by area of usual residence, UK on the ONS website and the Government's COMEAP mortality effects of long term exposure to particulate air pollution.
Myth: Only central London is affected by air pollution
FACT: Pollution affects every borough in the city, not just central London
Myth: Road vehicles aren't the main cause of London's air pollution
FACT: Polluting vehicles contribute nearly half of the air pollution in London
Myth: You don't need to switch off a car engine when stationary
FACT: Research shows that turning off the engine significantly reduces pollution levels in the surrounding area
Myth: You can always see when air pollution is bad in London
FACT: Most airborne toxic particles are too small to see with the naked eye
What else we're doing for air quality
We believe in enabling Londoners with options to help them make greener choices in the way they travel.
Greener transport
- Our 9000 buses are all low or zero emission at the tailpipe. The fleet is made up of electric, hydrogen, diesel and diesel-electric hybrid buses, all of which meet Euro VI emissions standards. We have more than 1,500 electric and hydrogen buses - that gives us the largest zero emission bus fleet in western Europe
- Low Emission Zone standards for heavy goods vehicles, vans and specialist vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) and buses, minibuses and coaches over 5 tonnes GVW are in place across most of Greater London
- All new licensed taxis in London must be zero-emission capable. Over half of London's licensed taxis - over 8,000 vehicles - are already in this category
- We've helped to establish over 300 rapid charge points for electric vehicles and opened rapid charging hub sites - these have 6 or more charge points in a single place. Hub sites include the Stratford International car park, Glass Yard in Woolwich and the Baynard House car park in the City of London. London now has over 20,000 charge points for electric vehicles, representing around a third of all charge points in the UK
Healthier streets
- More than 600 School Streets have been created In partnership with London boroughs. School Streets restrict vehicle access outside a school during drop off and pick up times - this has helped to make it safer and easier for children to travel to and from school by foot, bike or scooter as well as improving air quality for them
- Together with the London boroughs, we're creating a growing network of new and upgraded Cycleways across London that everyone can use
- We provide free cycle skills online training for all abilities to help you build your confidence and to cycle safely on London's roads
- We also aim to achieve benefits for air quality in the way that we manage our green infrastructure
Today's forecast: Low
Tomorrow's outlook: Low
For more information on local pollution, visit the London Air website.
This air quality information is provided by Imperial College London.