London needs a Clean Air Mayor

We fund Global Action Plan’s Clean Air New Voices group, empowering communities most affected by air pollution to advocate for clean air in our capital. In this manifesto, the group calls on London's next mayor to be ambitious about clean air in the capital.

Recommendations

1. Transport: Road vehicles are the single biggest cause of London’s high air pollution. But lower income Londoners, living in areas with higher levels of pollution, are less likely to own cars – meaning that those at the highest risk of breathing polluted air aren’t creating the problem. The manifesto calls on the next Mayor to provide sustainable transport appropriate for a global city, by 2028. This means transport that is affordable and accessible.
2. Housing: Children in the UK spend most of their time indoors. But there are a range of sources of indoor air pollution – including damp, smoking and burning. Awaab’s Law is an important step in tackling damp and mould in social housing. But 1,106 privately rented homes had dangerous levels of damp and mould in 2021/22. The future Mayor must ensure every Londoner lives in a home free of mould and damp.
3. Burning: Lighting fires in our homes – such as woodburning – are a huge contributor to polluted air. In January 2023, London’s air was the dirtiest it had been in six years – up to 70% of the soot/black carbon in the air came from wood burning. This includes the burning of waste wood at construction sites. The manifesto calls on a campaign to curb burning, and to provide guidances for businesses to reduce emissions.
4. Green space: Low-income residents and Black and minoritised Londoners are more likely to be deprived of green space. And 21% of Londoners don’t have a garden. The next mayor should stand up to threats to London’s existing green spaces, and create more garden streets – especially in communities that lack access to green spaces.