London Meets Legal Air Quality Limits 9 Years Early Thanks to Ulez

As of October 1st, 2025, London has finally met the legal limits for toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the air, a significant achievement since the UK regulations were first introduced in 2010. This milestone was revealed in government data published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The data shows that while London has succeeded in lowering its NO2 levels, other major cities like Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool are still exceeding the air quality standards. The mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, expressed his delight at the news, stating that the goal had been met 184 years earlier than the 193-year timeline initially predicted by experts.

Khan attributed this rapid progress to the implementation of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scheme in 2019, which required drivers of the most polluting vehicles to pay a daily charge of £12.50. The zone was later expanded across the whole of Greater London in August 2023, creating the world's largest pollution charging zone.

Despite facing some opposition, the mayor said the Ulez scheme was the "right thing to do" and had an even greater impact than anticipated. Dr. Gary Fuller, an air quality expert from Imperial College, described Ulez as a "game changer" for reducing toxic pollutants, noting that he could not recall a policy with a similar level of impact.

According to a City Hall report, there were nearly 100,000 fewer non-Ulez-compliant vehicles detected in London on an average day in September 2024 compared to June 2023, highlighting the significant changes brought about by the scheme.