London’s Mayor calls for air pollution standards to be maintained post-Brexit

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has called on the government to ensure that environmental regulations are strengthened after Brexit.

In an official report about the impact of Brexit on London, Khan has asked that ministers guarantee that environmental regulations, monitoring and enforcement standards will be strengthened after Brexit, rather than weakened.

European regulations currently impact Britain’s environment by ensuring a decline in harmful vehicle emissions. For example, European Union regulations last year were used in a legal case by Client Earth to force the government to introduce a new air quality strategy by March.

Following the Mayor’s plans to introduce a new T-charge on the most polluting vehicles from October, consultation on introducing the world’s first Ultra-Low Emission Zone in 2019, and the introduction of Clean Bus Zones, Khan is calling on the government to introduce a new Environment Act to guarantee that current EU standards are upheld.

Khan said: “The Government should legislate for a new Environment Act to ensure that the UK has an equivalent or better level of protection than in the EU, enshrining key environmental safeguarding principles such as polluter pays, environmental rights for citizens and the precautionary principle. It should also ensure that the necessary powers and resources are devolved to the authorities best placed to tackle their environmental issues and targets.

“I have made it clear that air quality is a key priority for my administration and Londoners need complete assurance of no reduction in regulatory standards and protections in this or other environmental areas. They must be strengthened rather than weakened.”