Breathe: Seven Ways to Win a Greener World

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Since becoming Mayor of London in 2016, he has declared a climate emergency, introduced the world’s first Ultra-Low Sadiq also discusses the crisis of policing in London, the possibility of a Labour government in Downing Street and why the UK government should be allowing more migrants to move to London. Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot sat down with Sadiq Khan ahead of Breathe's release to discuss the climate emergency, sustainable advice and the challenges of writing a book while serving as a politician. Do scroll our guides to greenwashing, intersectional environmentalism, and sustainable living, while you're here. Sadiq Khan on global warming, air pollution, and building a better tomorrow

He doesn’t just want to win a third term as mayor, Khan tells me; he’s hoping for six in total. I assume he’s joking, then realise he’s not. It becomes apparent that this is how long he thinks it will take to revive the city. What would he hope to have achieved by the end of a third term? “By then we’ll have had a Labour government for at least three years, so we’re going to see even more progress on fixing the housing crisis, the air quality, and you’ll have started to see the fruits of the reformed police service and fire service, and more jobs created in London.” And at the end of the sixth term? “You’ll see a London that can have our children feeling they have a future rather than being worried about what the future holds.” As he says, he’s always been an optimist.

The portraits featured in Breathe: 2022 have been developed into large-scale projections, appearing as still and moving images on bridges, buildings, and hoardings across Lewisham Because it's invisible. If you and I were sitting here in the 1950s, we would see the smog outside the window and we'd talk about it and what's causing it. But with air pollution today, you can't see it and you can't smell it. And that is the reason why with Rosamund’s permission I talk about Ella, because it humanises it.We all know someone who has asthma, if we don’t ourselves- you and I both have asthma. And my point is that if we had this same conversation 20 years ago that wouldn't be the case. So something has caused that, and what's caused that is the same thing causing climate change, which is air pollution. So we have got to talk about it, and I'm hoping to get the message and sense of urgency across by me telling my story. Led by Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day brings together communities, businesses, schools and the health sector to improve understanding of air pollution.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The focus of this Clean Air Day is on protecting children’s health – and we know toxic air pollution in London stunts the growth of children’s lungs and worsens chronic illnesses such as asthma. For many years, Sadiq wasn't fully aware of the dangers posed by air pollution, nor its connection with climate change. Then, aged 43, he was unexpectedly diagnosed with adult-onset asthma - brought on by the polluted London air he had been breathing for decades.When the experts explained to me that this was quite common now, my mind boggled. I started to find out a bit more about what is actually going on, and I discovered that over a period of time air has been getting worse. Things that cause climate change cause air pollution - but it is reversible. Expanding ULEZ London-wide will save 27,000 tonnes of CO2 in outer London, nearly double that which the central London ULEZ achieved in its first year of operation. Amongst other improvements, the expansion is forecast to make further progress to reduce air pollution, by reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from cars and vans in outer London by 10 and 7 percent respectively, and reducing PM2.5 car exhaust emissions in outer London by nearly 16 per cent, benefitting five million outer London residents. So I'm a progressive politician - I used to be a human rights lawyer, so one of the "good guys", right? Notwithstanding all that, I drove a Land Rover Discovery in London, and when I was a member of Parliament I voted to have a new runway at Heathrow Airport. Sarah Woolnough, CEO at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a huge win for everyone’s lungs. Asthma + Lung UK is delighted that the Mayor of London has listened to our campaigners. It is particularly significant for the 360,000* people with a lung condition in outer London who will now be included in the ULEZ. We hope this will lead to fewer premature deaths and fewer hospital admissions linked to air pollution. This event is Speech-to-Text transcribed (STT) and British Sign Language interpreted (BSL). The BSL interpretation is by Paul Michaels and Omoyele Davey (subject to change).

A new grace period for all wheelchair accessible vehicles and some vehicles with other adaptations (including vehicles with a ramp/power lift, electric or hydraulic lift, swivel seat or accelerator ring permanently fitted to the steering wheel). Sadiq marks Clean Air Day with hospital visit as focus is on protecting children’s health from air pollution Ella Kissi-Debrah was seven years old when she was diagnosed with asthma. She lived just 25 metres from the congested South Circular Road in Lewisham, South East London. The Ultra Low Emission Zone will expand to cover all London boroughs on Tuesday 29 August 2023 (from 00.01am). An additional 131 air quality sensors are to be installed at hospitals, schools and other priority locations in the capital, revolutionising Londoners’ access to reliable data about air pollution in their local area. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today mark Clean Air Day with a visit to the Royal London Hospital, one of ten hospitals with a sensor in place to monitor in real time the effects of toxic pollution, including high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) which aggravates respiratory diseases.

Oliver Lord, UK Head of the Clean Cities Campaign said: "This is a welcome next step in our fight for clean air in London and especially for people living on the most polluted roads. Anyone doubting this decision should take a long walk along the north and south circular and reason with the families living there why they don't deserve cleaner air. The Royal Festival Hall is open to all for access to the Level 2 foyers and toilets, Level 1 and Changing Places toilets, the National Poetry Library, Skylon, Riverside Terrace Cafe, Southbank Centre Shop and Members' Lounge at the following times: Anjali Raman-Middleton, Co-founder and Programmes Director of Choked Up, said: "We know that the ULEZ significantly reduces harmful air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, and is one of the most effective ways of combating filthy air. By expanding the ULEZ to encompass all of London millions of people will breathe cleaner air, preventing loss of life and long term illness. The ULEZ will help us all breathe easy and I fully support its expansion." You can also use the external lift near the Artists' Entrance on Southbank Centre Square to reach Mandela Walk, Level 2.

Cllr Stephanie Archer, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainable Transport at Kingston Council, said: “Schools notoriously have parking and congestion issues, causing issues for residents as well as for emergency vehicles that may need access to the school and nearby properties. It also makes the streets dangerous for children to use and is then a barrier to people using sustainable modes to get to school. Engine idling is also an issue that is a major contributor to local air pollution that damages the health of everyone in the area. Ella was admitted to hospital 27 times in the following 28 months. Her mother, Rosamund, resuscitated her on more than 20 occasions and she was treated in five hospitals, by numerous specialists. Then on 14 February 2013, she stopped breathing, had a seizure in the ambulance and died in hospital in the early hours of 15 February. She was nine years old. Researchers from Imperial College London found Sadiq’s air quality policies will help improve life expectancy for a child born in 2013 by six monthsOne of the things I’ve realised is that when people think of climate change, they think of it happening “over there” - in Sub-Saharan Africa, Bangladesh, or Islands in the West Indies. Or if it is happening to us, that it's in 30, 40 or 50 years' time. Mayor Khan introduced the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone, which has helped cut toxic roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by nearly half in central London at the same time as helping to reduce carbon emissions. The Mayor has also: planted 350,000 trees since 2016; introduced over 500 electric buses; committed to making London a net zero carbon city by 2030, faster than any comparable city; and developed a climate action plan that is compatible with the highest ambition of the Paris Agreement.