Mission-oriented R&I policies : in-depth case studies : clean air London (UK) : case study report

Mitigating air pollution has been of high importance in London since 1999 however prior to 2017, activities have had moderate success. European legislation, health issues and emerging new technologies have given momentum to strongly accelerate the effort. In 2016 the newly elected mayor, Sadiq Khan, doubled the funds for fighting air pollution and committed £875 M (circa 1 000 M€) to 'be invested in action to improve the quality of the London's air through to 2021/22'. New measures include a Toxicity Charge, less polluting buses, zero emission taxis and 'Neighbourhoods of the Future' that will help to break down the barriers preventing people from buying Ultra-Low emission vehicles and ease the transition for communities wanting to move to greener lifestyles. In addition, the initiative includes the Air Quality Fund which provides funding for specific measures to the boroughs and the Clean Air Better Business programme which provides incentives for central London businesses to tackle London's air quality challenge. The initiative expects not only to reduce air pollution but also increase investments and provide new jobs in London.