London air pollution: expanding the ULEZ is good but it won't work by itself

According to Mayor of London Saadiq Khan, expanding the ULEZ will 'ensure 5 million more Londoners can breathe cleaner air'. Alena Veasey

On November 25 2022 Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, announced plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover the whole of Greater London. According to Khan, this will “ensure 5 million more Londoners can breathe cleaner air”.

While there have been significant improvements in London’s air quality in recent years, 99% of the city’s residents still live in areas that exceed World Health Organisation limits for air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM) 2.5, which is emitted by vehicles, among other sources.