Campaign celebrates ‘End of Diesel’ and calls for phase out
Campaigners and councillors attended the launch of a new campaign celebrating the ‘End of Diesel’, with six billboards across London calling on councillors to ensure their boroughs are diesel free by 2030 or sooner.
Research from Clean Cities Campaign shows that drivers in London have abandoned diesel cars six times faster than those in the rest of the UK.
To ensure that diesel cars are phased out quickly, Mums for Lungs and Clean Cities Campaign are calling for councils to no longer issue new permits for diesel cars from next year, with an exemption for blue badge holders.
This would not affect residents that already have a diesel car, who permits would continue to be honoured, but it will discourage any more diesel cars being brought to London.
Jemima Hartshorn, a parent who lives in Herne Hill and organises the Mums for Lungs group, said: ‘We are on the cusp of something historic with the end of diesel fumes. But we won’t get there without local leadership from councillors and candidates. Let’s make polluting cars a distant memory.’
Oliver Lord, UK Head of the Clean Cities Campaign, added: ‘The end of the road for diesel cars is truly in sight. But we will get there much quicker, and save thousands more lives if we give these polluting vehicles a final push into the scrapyard. Councils have the chance to change behaviour. We want all parties to commit to ending car parking permits for new diesel cars by next year and commit to going totally diesel free by 2030. This would be another important milestone on the journey to cleaner air, tackling the climate crisis and ending our reliance on Russian oil.’
Despite the downward trend in some areas, diesel is still a disproportionate contributor to air pollution. Recent research showed that diesel cars in London cause three times as much pollution as trucks and lorries.
Pollution from diesel cars contributes to the deaths of 8.8 million people worldwide, including 4,000 in London. It stunts children’s lungs for life and triggers conditions from asthma to heart disease.
Photo supplied by Clean Cities Campaign
As air pollution continues to rise, it is certainly necessary to discourage the production and purchase of new diesel cars. This awareness leads us to understand the nature of the ‘End Diesel’ campaign and to support it fully. The proposed solution of no more permits for diesel cars is certainly effective, but it is necessary, as Mums for Lungs and the Clean Cities Campaign have already pointed out, to allow existing owners of diesel vehicles to continue using them. It could also be useful to provide tax breaks for the purchase of plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles for diesel owners, to encourage them to choose a more eco-friendly car.