Ken lists green achievements

Here incumbent Mayor of London Ken Livingstone tells edie readers what he has achieved so far and how much greener he could make the capital if re-elected.


No issue shows the policy choice facing Londoners in the Mayoral election more clearly than the environment.

I have made tackling climate change a top priority of my administration. The election will determine whether ground breaking policies on climate change, including the £25 a day CO2 charge on gas guzzling cars and an ambitious programme of energy saving through retrofitting buildings, will proceed or not.

If I am re-elected we will create a Green Grid of natural open spaces in the Thames Gateway, and vigorously oppose expansion of Heathrow or other airports near London.

The Low Emission Zone to cut air pollution will be extended to smaller lorries, heavy vans and mini-buses.

We will invest to move a quarter of London’s energy supply off the national grid and on to efficient decentralised and renewable energy systems.

That is why London was asked to chair the C40 group of the world’s largest cities to tackle climate change.

The contrast with my Tory opponent, Boris Johnson, could not be more stark. He is backed George W Bush in opposing the Kyoto treaty on climate change.

He opposes the £25 a day CO2 charge on gas guzzling cars. Asked by BBC London for his one ‘big idea’ as Mayor, on a par with the congestion charge, he said it was to build a new airport in the Thames Gateway.

Boris Johnson is a funny man, but as Mayor he would be no joke for London’s environment.

This is why the Green Party Mayoral candidate, Sian Berry, and I have called for our supporters to cast their second preference votes for each other to ensure London does not wake up with the environmental disaster of Boris Johnson as Mayor on 2 May.

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