EMEA News
Mayor of London Sets Sights on Thames, Canal Shipping Emissions
The Greater London Authority (GLA) today announced that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has requested additional powers to enable him to "effectively tackle non-road pollution sources in the capital," including shipping emissions on rivers and canals.
"With ambitious plans in the growth of traffic on waterways, unless sufficient controls are introduced, the number of people exposed to this source of pollution will only grow," explained GLA.
"Sadiq wants to see the regulations simplified so that there is a single regulator with the ability to charge and enforce and a single emissions control framework."
The proposed regulatory body would be able to set minimum emission and other technical standards for specific classes or types of vessels, and would provide clarity for local, national, and international shipping utilising the Thames and canals.
"The Mayor currently does not have any formal powers to control emissions from vessels on the River Thames or the canal network but has recently set up a Thames and London Waterways Forum, which will bring together the regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that growth in the use of London's waterways is co-ordinated and sustainable," said GLA.
In July, the Port of London Authority (PLA) announced that it was working with the Mayor of London and Transport for London on new research to help develop an Air Quality Strategy for the tidal Thames through the reduction of vessel emissions.
