ULEZ growth: Boris Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio conflict over London’s local weather coverage
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When London Mayor Sadiq Khan was compelled to defend a key environmental coverage not too long ago, it’s unlikely he imagined a Hollywood celebrity would wade into the talk to supply assist—in direct opposition to former U.Okay. prime minister Boris Johnson.
In 2023, the U.Okay. capital is ready to increase its Extremely-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) to cowl all the metropolis’s boroughs, that means round 200,000 Londoners will face a every day cost of £12.50 after they drive as a result of their automobiles don’t meet sure emissions requirements.
The payment will apply to individuals who dwell contained in the ULEZ, however supply vans, buses and another automobiles are exempt.
Transport for London (TfL), the physique that oversees the capital’s public transport, has stated the growth will go forward as a result of poor air high quality “is impacting the well being of Londoners, and it’s primarily attributable to polluting automobiles.”
Backing from DiCaprio
In a Fb put up on Wednesday, Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio stated Khan’s choice to increase the ULEZ meant 5 million extra individuals can be “respiration cleaner air,” arguing that it could “assist to construct a greater, greener, fairer London for everybody.”
“That is the form of large-scale, decisive motion we have to halve emissions this decade, coupled with the implementation of nature-based options,” he stated.
DiCaprio has lengthy been a local weather activist, sitting on the board of a number of environmental safety organizations and supporting greater than 35 conservation initiatives by way of his personal basis.
Representatives for Khan, Johnson and DiCaprio weren’t obtainable for remark when contacted by Fortune.
“Raid on drivers’ wallets”
Regardless of being behind the launch of the ULEZ throughout his personal tenure as London Mayor, Johnson—who was ousted as Prime Minister earlier this yr after being mired in scandals—was considered one of a number of lawmakers in Britain’s Conservative get together who wrote to The Telegraph newspaper to criticize what they known as the “smash and seize raid on drivers.”
“The ULEZ was by no means meant to use to outer London,” they stated. “This can be a smash-and-grab raid on drivers’ wallets that has nothing to do with air high quality and all the pieces to do with Khan’s mismanagement of [Transport for London’s] funds. And it comes on the worst potential time for family earnings.”
TfL and the growth of the ULEZ is overseen by Khan, who represents the Conservatives’ opposition Labour Social gathering.
The plans have had a conflicted response from the general public, with an October YouGov ballot of 1,245 London adults discovering that 51% of individuals dwelling within the metropolis supported the ULEZ being expanded, and a later survey discovering half opposed it. A session on the growth additionally reportedly uncovered a majority of individuals had been in opposition to it.
Regardless of the resistance to the larger ULEZ, Khan has dedicated to shifting forward with the growth.
“I’ve been fairly clear: this was a session not a referendum,” he informed London’s Night Customary newspaper final week.
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