Zero: The Climate Race London’s mayor on lessons from one of the world’s greenest cities
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Apr 23, 2026 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London known for bold air-quality rules and urban climate initiatives. He talks about ultra-low emission zones, clean charging and bus electrification. He discusses housing trade-offs, greenbelt pragmatism and resilience against heat, floods and fires. He reflects on working with national government and climate politics as an electoral issue.
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Personal Health Sparked London's Clean Air Push
- Sadiq Khan developed adult-onset asthma and traced it to invisible air pollutants, which drove his clean-air agenda.
- He installed citywide monitors with Bloomberg Philanthropies, used public data to win support, and launched the ultra-low emission zone that cut NO2 and PM significantly.
Adjust Congestion Policy As EVs Scale
- Khan shifted congestion-charge incentives as EV uptake rose to avoid electric-car congestion while still encouraging EV adoption.
- He kept an EV discount but reduced free entry because the center now had ~20% EVs and congestion, so public-transport alternatives were strengthened.
Install Street Chargers To Serve Apartment Dwellers
- Provide charging where flats lack driveways by using street infrastructure and rapid public chargers.
- London installed chargers in lampposts and built 'electric station' networks, reaching ~28,000 points and one-third of the country's chargers.