Sadiq Khan Cites Health Data to Defend ULEZ Expansion

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan defended the implementation and expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), citing new data that demonstrates the scheme's positive impact on public health. The mayor asserted that the policy protects the city's most vulnerable residents despite initial fierce political opposition.

Research from Imperial College London indicates that deaths associated with air pollution in the capital fell by approximately 40% between 2019 and 2024. Additionally, nitrogen dioxide levels reached legal limits 184 years earlier than predicted by King's College London.

A study by Queen Mary University of London tracked over 3,400 children in London and Luton from 2019 to 2024, finding that children's exposure to nitrogen dioxide fell twice as fast in London as in Luton. As a result, the proportion of London children with clinically impaired lung function decreased from 14% to 9%.