ULEZ has ‘positive impact’

The CIEH environmental health body has welcomed the successful expansion of ULEZ ultra-low emission zones in London after a new study published by the Greater London Authority showed they have had “a hugely positive impact”.

London’s air quality is improving at a faster rate than that in the rest of the country.

Levels of pollutants linked to health problems including cancer, heart attacks, impaired lung development and premature births have fallen, the CIEH reported, with some of the biggest improvements in the most deprived areas.

An independent advisory group of experts extensively reviewed the findings. These include air quality improving at 99% of monitoring sites across London since 2019 when ULEZ was launched, and roadside nitrogen dioxide levels decreasing by 27% since 2019.

Small-particle emissions from vehicle exhausts were 31% lower in outer London in 2024 than they would have been had the ULEZ expansion in 2023 not taken place.

And the expansion saved carbon emissions equivalent to nearly three million one-way passenger trips between Heathrow and New York.

“Every step taken towards better air quality translates to fewer hospital admissions, reduced strain on the NHS and ultimately more lives saved,” said CIEH president Mark Elliott.

“We hope to see lessons learned from the scheme in London taken forward in other areas of the country to bring further benefits to our communities’ health and overall quality of life.”