UK mayors make joint call for urgent action to tackle country’s air pollution:

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City leaders across England and Wales have teamed up to demand that the country’s government takes immediate action to fight air pollution, according to The Guardian.

A total of 17 mayors and civic leaders, representing 20 million people throughout the country, have signed a letter that calls for the urgent development and implementation of a national clean air action plan.

They include the mayors of BreatheLife cities London and Greater Manchester, Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham respectively, as well as those of the Liverpool city region and Sheffield, Steve Rotheram and Dan Jarvis. They were joined by leaders from authorities around the U.K., including Cardiff, Leeds, Newcastle and Southampton.

The group is demanding that the government:

• Pass a stringent clean air act that will give local authorities powers to regulate emissions such as those produced by taxis and private hire services in cities.

• Set up a targeted vehicle renewal scheme to replace older, more polluting cars, buses and lorries, but in a way that will protect local businesses.

• Provide funds to support the establishment of clean air zones and provide investment in cleaner buses, taxis and other forms of transport.

Read the full article here. 

Earlier this month, the Oxford City Council wrote to the national Environment Secretary called for a 10-point contract with local authorities to provide more powers and funding to tackle toxic air pollution.

The 10-point plan includes calls for the Government to end the sale of all new polluting vehicles earlier than 2040, install infrastructure to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles and revise Vehicle Excise Duty to incentivise the purchase of new and second-hand zero-emissions vehicles.

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Banner photo by David Holt.