A new study from City Hall has found that the air quality in London has significantly improved in the last seven years and is set to continue on this path. 

The London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory forecasts were commissioned in 2019 and has shown that Nitric Oxide (NOx) emissions in Greater London reduced by 18% between 2016 and 2019 and are forecasted to reduce by a further 44% by 2030. 

The rate of reduction in NOx emissions from road transport has more than doubled between 2016 and 2019 compared to between 2013 and 2016. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "This new data shows that we have every reason to be hopeful about the future of our city if we continue to take bold action.  

"The impressive rate of reductions in harmful pollution since 2016 highlights that world-leading policies, like ULEZ, are helping us to deliver a greener, safer, cleaner London.  

"But the data also makes clear we have some way to go. I'm determined to build on the progress made and deliver the bold action needed to ensure all Londoners are able to breathe clean air, starting with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide this August." 

The data shows that all London schools are located in areas that will meet the UK Government-set legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 2025, up from 76 per cent of schools in 2016 and 98.5 per cent in 2019.   

Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air at Global Action Plan, the environmental charity behind Clean Air Day, said "As both a campaigner and a parent, it is deeply concerning to see that Londoners will not be breathing clean air in the near future and that our health continues to be put at risk from harmful air pollutants.  

"The recent reductions in air pollution are encouraging and show that this is a problem we can solve. 

"We now need to do more and quicker – this includes cleaner vehicles on the roads, fewer vehicles on the roads and an end to the unnecessary use of wood burners"