Companies pledge to tackle pollution in City of London

Firms including Pret A Manger and Deloitte LLP pledge to reduce air pollution in the Square Mile

A number of firms operating in the City of London have pledged to tackle air pollution by reducing gas consumption on their premises, promoting walking and cycling amongst workers and reducing deliveries.

Firms in the City of London have pledged to tackle pollution emissions

The 18 firms including Caffe Nero, Deloitte LLP, Jones Lang LaSalle and Pret A Manger signed up to the City of London Corporation’s CityAir scheme at an event hosted by Japanese financial services firm Nomura International last week.

CityAir

The CityAir initiative aims to bring forward measures to improve London’s air quality and protect the City’s 9,000 residents, 350,000 workers and nine million annual visitors, by asking businesses to take steps to reduce emissions of pollutants associated with buildings and transport.

CityAir

The City Corporation has also been working with Kings College, London, to develop a CityAir app to help Londoners lower their emissions and exposure to air pollution. Users can sign up for pollution alerts and find cleaner routes to work when levels of air pollution are high in the capital.

John Tomlinson, chairman of the Corporation’s Port Health & Environmental Services Committee, said: “In the Square Mile we have been reducing emissions by tackling idling vehicle engines and helping our 7,500 businesses to take action against air pollution. And we will be introducing a 20mph zone this year, which will have a positive effect on air quality, making the City a more pleasant place to be.”

Wendy Mead, deputy chairman of the City Corporation’s Port Heath & Environmental Services Committee, added: “It’s important to do all we can to make London’s air healthier to breathe. The commitments that these businesses have made are a crucial first step on the path to improved air quality in the Square Mile. If we are to secure the improvements that are needed in London, we all need to play our part.”