Mapping a new route: Encouraging greener London transport

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Transport in London has been big news over the past year. The expansion of the ultra-low emission zone to cover the city’s outer boroughs has become a political football, and the mayor, Sadiq Khan, wants 80% of all journeys to be made by active or sustainable travel by 2041, requiring a 50% cut in car journeys every day.

Think tank Centre for London undertook research to examine the city’s transport policies and explore whether changing the cost of transport might encourage people to switch from using their cars. “London, like every city in the world, is facing a climate crisis, ” says Millie Mitchell, senior researcher at Centre for London and co-author of the ‘Moving with the times’ report. “Transport is one of the largest-emitting sectors – it accounts for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in London and, of that quarter, 75% is road transport.”

In addition to qualitative interviews with policymakers at different levels of government, the researchers carried out ...