Transport & Environment UK are today reporting that analysis of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero statistics shows that the sale of diesel fuel in London is falling twice as fast as the national average. At the current rate of decline, in around ten years no-one will be buying diesel in the capital, prompting T&E to call on other cities to emulate London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone and drive diesels off the roads.
Matt Finch, UK Policy Manager at Transport & Environment, said: ‘Regardless of the impact of the ULEZ on air pollution, this data shows the remarkable impact clean air zones can have on energy and trade. Diesel is another dirty fossil fuel that the UK has found itself reliant on imports for, often from countries with undemocratic Governments that have poor human rights records. The smart move would be to follow London’s lead, stop burning imported dirty diesel and switch to using clean British electrons as quickly as possible.’
Under London’s ULEZ, which was introduced in 2019, non-compliant diesels (those made before 2016) were subject to a £12.50 charge to enter the city. Last year this expanded to also cover outer London. In the four years since the ULEZ started, sales of diesel have fallen by 40% in London, compared to 20% elsewhere. An interactive map has been published that demonstrates the improvement in NO2 levels across London, in just one year from 2021 to 2022.
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