Travel in London Travel in London

9. London’s air quality and greenhouse gas emissions and transport and public health
9. London’s air quality and greenhouse gas emissions
and transport and public health
9.1 Background and content
This chapter looks at the related topics of local air quality and climate change
emissions from ground-based transport in London. The transport sector is an
important primary contributor of local air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, and
is also an important secondary determinant through, for example, it’s influence on
urban geography and the need to travel. The MTS therefore sets out a broad
framework for reducing these emissions from ground-based transport. These are
elaborated in a wider context via the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy
(see http://www.cleanerairforlondon.org.uk/policy/mayors-air-quality-strategy) and
his Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy
(see: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/C
CMES%20annual%20report_2013-14_0.pdf). The first part of this chapter gives a
broad review of progress in tackling these emissions over the term of the current
MTS to date.
During 2015 TfL has revised and updated London’s emissions inventories –
comprehensive datasets that identify and quantify emissions to air from transport
and all other polluting activities. TfL has yet to fully validate these new data and
evaluate their full significance for air quality and greenhouse gas policy in London.
Full results from the inventory updates will be published during 2016 and the
datasets made available for general use by air quality practitioners. Some initial
findings – relating specifically to changes in London’s emissions from ground-based
transport between 2008 and 2013 – are however published in this chapter on a
provisional basis.
9.2 Local air quality and greenhouse gas emissions – recent initiatives
Why pollution matters
Air pollutants can have a detrimental effect on the health of people and
ecosystems, and are linked to climate change. The most common pollutants of
concern in London are particulates, particularly those fine particles under
10microns in size (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ), NO x and NO 2 , and CO 2 . It is generally accepted
that particles have a zero threshold, in that any levels can potentially be dangerous
to human health, but standards have been set at the EU level (known as limit
values) which sets a recommended level at which pollution levels should be below
in order to protect the population from wider health effects.
Fine particles can penetrate deeply into the lungs and enter the blood stream;
chronic exposure to particles contributes the long term risks of developing
cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Health impacts of NO 2 are less understood
but it now accepted that longer term exposure to high levels of NO 2 can affect lung
growth and function in children, particularly those with underlying health conditions
such as asthma. NOx/NO2 is an important precursor in the formation of particles
and ozone.
TFL/GLA recently commissioned King’s College to quantify the health impacts of
PM 10 / 2.5 and NO 2 . For the first time, the health burden of these pollutants was
estimated at around 9,400 equivalent deaths brought forward in 2010. The study
163 Travel in London, Report 8