London's clean air gains should inspire bold global action, says Mayor Sadiq Khan
New Delhi, Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is on a mission to make London net zero by 2030, has called on global leaders to draw inspiration from the city's efforts to improve air quality and said that he hopes that its clean air initiatives will encourage bold action on environmental challenges worldwide.
Replying to a questionnaire sent to him by PTI, Khan underlined the importance of shared responsibility between governments, businesses and communities to achieve climate goals.
London declared a climate emergency in 2018, following a motion passed by its assembly. The city has since taken several steps to combat the impacts of climate change, including establishing a large clean air zone, he said.
"I am committed to making London net zero by 2030 and have implemented an array of climate policies and initiatives to help get us there. However, reaching net zero needs to be a collective effort, and that is why I am working closely with the government, alongside local councils, businesses, and London's communities," Khan told PTI.
He said he also hopes that the results achieved in London will inspire leaders both in the UK and around the world to be bold in addressing environmental challenges in their cities, and to take strong action to improve air quality to protect their citizens and the environment.
While London aims to be net zero by 2030, the UK hopes to cut greenhouse emissions to zero by 2050.
According to the City Hall's 2021 Energy Monitoring Report, referable developments in London achieved carbon reductions 46.2 per cent higher than those required by national legal standards for new buildings.
The Mayor's Energy Efficiency Fund, launched in 2018, has mobilised over 330 million pounds for net-zero projects. These include retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, expanding electric vehicle infrastructure and developing local heat networks to decarbonise energy use.
London's policies have been highlighted internationally, including through platforms such as the C40 Cities a global network of mayors working to confront the climate crisis.
Indian officials and urban planners, including those from Delhi, also a member of the C40 group, have participated in these forums to exchange urban strategies to tackle air pollution and climate change.
London has taken significant steps to reduce pollution and address climate change, and some Indian cities are drawing inspiration from these examples.
Multiple cities in Maharashtra, including Pimpri Chinchwad and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, are planning to introduce low emission zones a concept implemented in London. The Delhi government has expanded its electric bus fleet as part of its broader clean transport push to cut emissions.
According to the 2024 World Air Quality Report, Delhi is the world's most polluted capital city.
Several Indian cities, including Delhi, face persistent air quality challenges, particularly in the winter months when particulate matter levels frequently exceed safe thresholds. According to the Central Pollution Control Board , vehicular emissions, construction dust, and biomass burning remain among the key contributors.
As part of the newly signed UK-India Free Trade Agreement, British clean energy companies will have unprecedented access to India's public procurement market. This opens the door for UK firms to bid for large-scale renewable energy projects across India.
According to a statement issued by the UK government, the agreement represents a key step toward greater commercial participation in India's energy transition, which targets 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. The demand is expected to grow across sectors, including offshore wind, hydrogen, smart grids and battery storage.
One of the most important interventions under Khan's tenure in London has been the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone , which in August 2023 was extended to cover all 32 London boroughs. The zone now spans 1,500 square kilometres and impacts nearly 9 million residents.
Transport decarbonisation remains a central component of the city's climate strategy. London currently hosts over 22,700 public electric vehicle charging points nearly a third of the UK's total including about 1,350 rapid or ultra-rapid chargers, based on data from the London Assembly and the Mayor's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy .
The city's bus fleet includes more than 1,400 battery electric buses and 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses. The wider fleet is largely compliant with ULEZ standards, according to Transport for London.
Since 2017, the London Community Energy Fund has supported 194 community-led projects, leading to the installation of 3.3 MWp of solar photovoltaic capacity and an estimated lifetime savings of around 9,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, according to City Hall reports.
The city aims to support up to 1,000 such projects by 2030 as part of its net-zero emissions roadmap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
9 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India's watchdog warns Air India for breaching pilots' flight duty timings
By Aditya Kalra India's watchdog warns Air India for breaching pilots' flight duty timings NEW DELHI, - India's aviation watchdog has issued a warning to Air India for "repeated and serious violations" related to pilot duty scheduling and oversight, according to government directives reviewed by Reuters on Saturday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation directed Air India to remove three company executives from crew scheduling roles - a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling and one planning executive - for lapses linked to flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and May 17 that exceeded the stipulated pilot flight time limit of 10 hours. The June 20 order cited "systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights" and criticised the lack of strict disciplinary measures against responsible officials. The latest action by the aviation authority against the airline is unrelated to this month's crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard but signal heightened scrutiny of the airline. On Thursday, Reuters reported the authorities had also warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment of escape slides. The latest order by assistant director of operations at the DGCA, Himanshu Srivastava, said: "Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible." In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order and in the interim, the company's chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre. "Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices," it added. The DGCA stated in its order that Air India had voluntarily disclosed the violations. Air India was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 and faces many challenges in its attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travelers for poor service. The Indian regulator, like many abroad, often fines airlines for compliance lapses. India's government in February told parliament that authorities had warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Around half of them - 12 - involved Air India and Air India Express. The biggest fine was $127,000 on Air India for "insufficient oxygen on board" during some international flights. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Scroll.in
12 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, cites ‘pivotal' role during conflict with India
Pakistan announced on Saturday that it has nominated United States President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize 'in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership' during the recent conflict with India. 'The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump's sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan – an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability,' Islamabad stated in a social media post. It also described Trump as a 'genuine peacemaker'. The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is expected to be announced in October 2026. Pakistan to recommend US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize 2026: Pakistan statement — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 21, 2025 Pakistan's announcement came days after Trump claimed that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for multiple global peace efforts, The Hindu reported. 'I should have gotten it four or five times,' the US president was quoted as saying by AP. 'They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.' In a social media post on Saturday, Trump reiterated that he would never receive a Nobel Peace Prize, 'no matter what I do'. He also repeated his claim that he had helped 'stop the war' between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has rejected Trump's assertions. On Wednesday, New Delhi stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the US president that India will never accept mediation to resolve tensions with Pakistan. Trump was also told that New Delhi had agreed to the ceasefire only on Islamabad's request, said India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Hours after the statement, Trump hosted Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House. Speaking afterwards, Trump thanked both Munir and Modi for their roles in 'ending the war', and noted ongoing trade discussions with both countries, The Hindu reported. The tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. New Delhi's announcement on the decision to stop military action had come minutes after Trump claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to the ceasefire. However, India has said that the decision to stop firing was taken bilaterally and that there was no intervention by the US. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The five-member panel is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. According to the Nobel Prize website, a nomination for the Peace Prize is valid if submitted by qualified individuals such as government officials, judges, professors, former laureates or members of recognised peace organisations. This includes 'members of national Assemblies and national governments of sovereign states as well as current heads of state'. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Mint
16 minutes ago
- Mint
Investors tip to Indian manufacturers: adopt tech and become Silicon Valley for global funds
Singapore, Jun 21 (PTI) Given the government's generous incentives, the Indian manufacturing sector should adopt technology to become a "Silicon Valley" that attracts global sovereign funds, said Bengaluru-based industrialist-turned-investor Ankit Kedia. "Eventually, we should build Indian manufacturing startups that expand abroad as part of our future plans, as we want to make products for the world with a home-grown Silicon Valley-type ecosystem," Kedia said in an interview to PTI at the Super AI conference and exhibition held June 18–19 here. However, technology must be made affordable for these cash-strapped manufacturers operating in lower-cost environments in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, he said. Bengaluru, already recognised as a technology hub and often called India's Silicon Valley, should now focus on manufacturing, especially by leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, he suggested. Kedia, who is currently working on a ₹ 400-crore Fund-2 under his five-year-old Capital-A, shared his vision for the Indian manufacturing sector over the next 15 years, aiming for a strong foundation across the country, starting with low-cost factories in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. With two decades of experience in various industries and five years of running Capital-A Fund-1, Kedia is focused on technologies for the manufacturing sector, which he wants to combine with his long-term investment horizon of 15 to 20 years. Kedia has explored opportunities for the use of AI in manufacturing at the Super AI show, stating that he is returning home to raise ₹ 400 crore for Fund-2, which will be strategically invested in factories in Tier-II and Tier-III cities such as Amritsar, Pune, Ahmedabad. "We want hardware producers in these cities to form the foundation of our future manufacturing ecosystem and to share prosperity across the country," he said. "India's large consumer market, along with the government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, provides further confidence to investors to support small and medium-sized software or hardware manufacturers, who will have a low-cost advantage when competing globally,' he emphasized. Kedia also sees international sovereign funds moving to India for better returns on investment, especially as they face pressure from global uncertainties. Capital-A Fund-1 has reported an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 28 per cent and is being tracked at 1.8X, Kedia said. "Such fund returns are becoming more and more attractive to sovereign funds in Europe and the United States," said the fund manager, who invested ₹ 120 crore under Fund-1 across 25 investments five years ago. "The strong domestic market, the stability of the Indian ecosystem, and the potential of leveraging an increasing number of free trade agreements (FTAs) between India and international markets are all plus points for our manufacturing sector," he underscored. Harshul Arora, founder and CEO of Noida-based Macgence, noted that more and more enterprises are shifting to AI-automation to be more cost-effective and capture a bigger share of the market through efficient production. "Small manufacturers in Tier-II and -III city regions are able to use AI to communicate with their clients – a real time translation is offered to these small manufacturers to communicate in any language with clients. "This will increase their communication skills and reach to global businesses as well as a large audience," said the 24-year-old who started with a language solutions company and now runs training data solutions for AI companies globally. Over 7,000 participants from more than 100 countries attended the Singapore Super AI.
