Sadiq Khan and Ed Miliband launch climate action plan for London

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband have launched a new climate action plan for London.

During a visit to a north London school Mr Khan will recommit to the capital reaching net zero by 2030, saying the city is at a “crucial crossroads moment” for climate action.

The Labour mayor’s Net Zero Schools initiative will aim to help schools become sources of energy generation by investing an initial £2 million for solar panels and other measures at 50 sites across the capital.

He is expected to brand his Conservative opponent Susan Hall “a proud anti-green candidate” who has promoted climate science denial and takes “a Trumpian approach to the climate crisis”.

Ms Hall’s key pledges include scrapping the expansion of the Ulez scheme on her first day in office.

With three weeks to go until the mayoral election on May 2, Mr Khan will warn Londoners that the environment and net zero are on the ballot paper.

He will say: “This election is a close two-horse race between me and the Tory candidate. When it comes to the green agenda, the choice couldn’t be starker.

“There is so much at risk – clean air and London’s commitment to reaching net zero are on the ballot paper on 2 May.

“London is at a crucial crossroads moment. One path leads to clean air and our city continuing to be at the forefront of the fight to save our planet, while the other is a path that takes our city backwards, with toxic air polluting children’s lungs and the consequences of having a climate science denier leading our city.

“Only voting Labour in London will keep green politics alive.

“This is no joke. Susan Hall is a proud anti-green candidate who takes a Trumpian approach to the climate crisis.

“She has opposed all the green policies we’ve introduced since 2016, backed the reintroduction of fracking and promoted climate science denial online.”

The mayor’s new climate plan includes delivering a 100% zero-emission bus fleet in London by 2030, putting air pollution filters in primary schools, providing more than 40,000 new public bike parking spaces by 2030 and more than doubling the number of electric vehicle charging points to 40,000 by 2030.

He has also pledged to help schools reach net zero, boost the programme to make homes and offices more energy efficient and expand the successful School Streets initiative to reduce air pollution by restricting car access outside schools during drop-off and pick-up.

The climate pledges also include creating jobs in green industries, increasing investment in walking and cycling and planting more trees and creating new green spaces.

Mr Khan will say: “I’m proud of what we’ve done in London to tackle air pollution and the climate crisis. It’s not been easy – I’ve faced resistance and pressure from many quarters.

“But it was the right thing to do and has proven to be very effective, with roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution cut in half across London, and saved hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions.

“But I’m determined to go even further with a new 10-point climate action plan for our city, which includes exciting new initiatives like putting solar panels on school roofs across our city.”

Mr Miliband will say: “Who runs our capital city is a defining question of whether we can win the fight against the accelerating climate emergency or not.

“It’s a close two-horse race and it’s a choice between Sadiq – who has been a true climate leader as mayor and will deliver a greener, healthier, brighter future for London – or a retrograde step with the Tory candidate.

“I support Sadiq’s new 10-point climate action plan for London and his great Net Zero Schools initiative. This is the kind of project that we can help turbocharge with a Labour government as we have made clean power central to one of Labour’s five national missions.”