Inner London Ultra Low Emission Zone Expansion One Year Report

On 8 April 2019 the Mayor of London launched the world’s first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London. On 25 October 2021 the zone was expanded across inner London, up to, but not including, the North and South Circular Roads. The ULEZ is now 18 times the size of the original area and covers four million people – around 44 per cent of London’s population.

The ULEZ does not operate in isolation. It operates in conjunction with the London-wide Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which was originally launched in 2008. It is the oldest of the capital’s emission control schemes and applies to large and heavy vehicles. In March 2021 enforcement of tougher emission standards for the LEZ began. Prior to this, the standards hadn’t changed since 2012. The LEZ standards are now the same as the ULEZ standards for most large and heavy vehicles.