Labour's Ken Livingstone is the greenest of the two main candidates to be London Mayor, an independent analysis by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace reveals today [Thursday 26 April 2012].

The environment organisations assessed the manifestos, pledges and published records of the four leading mayoral candidates, ranking them on six key environmental issues: air pollution, transport, aviation, climate change, energy and energy efficiency and green spaces.

Green Party candidate Jenny Jones emerged as the greenest candidate for London Mayor, followed by Labour’s Ken Livingstone. Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick came third with current Mayor, Boris Johnson of the Conservative Party, trailing in fourth place.

Friends of the Earth’s Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett said:

"If you live in the capital and care about your health and green spaces, and the city’s economy, you should care who runs London.

“From fresher air and cheaper public transport to open spaces for our children to play in, the Mayor’s environmental decisions can be make or break for Londoners’ quality of life.

“The next Mayor must put the environment at the heart of policy-making – and give us all a prosperous, clean and safe capital to be proud of.”

Greenpeace Chief Scientist Dr Doug Parr said:

“People look to world cities like London to provide political leadership on national and international problems like ending our oil and gas addiction, so temporarily sticking air pollution to roads and championing airport growth and cars won’t cut it.

“But policies to insulate the city’s draughty homes, make public transport more appealing and cycling safer can have a serious impact on carbon emissions and Londoners’ wallets and wellbeing.”

The study revealed stark differences in approach and commitment to environment policies. The key findings are:

Jenny Jones’ proposals, such as London-wide road user charging, address the scale of action needed to make London’s air safe to breathe and to meet climate targets. This would cut fares and traffic levels, helping create the shift to walking, cycling and public transport needed to keep the capital moving. She understands the need to support policies that are win, win, win – environmentally, socially and economically.

Ken Livingstone delivered difficult and ambitious green politics in office – his Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone and climate change targets and strategies were groundbreaking. Environmental issues again run centrally throughout Livingstone’s manifesto in 2012, with strong commitments on most of the key areas. However, he failed to meet EU air pollution targets as Mayor, and proposed some measures which would have worsened pollution such as the Thames Gateway road bridge. This time round he has less bold commitments than in previous elections, especially on road pricing.

Brian Paddick’s central London Low Emission Zone is a strong air pollution policy – helping to push his ranking to second in that category. However, he supports new river crossings for vehicles in East London which would increase traffic, and greater clarity is needed about whether his support for larger aeroplanes will result in increased climate emissions and noise pollution.

Boris Johnson’s strongest environmental record is on green spaces – he recognises their intrinsic value and importance for Londoners’ wellbeing. His Capital Growth scheme and protection for back gardens have been strong points in office. However, his transport policies to increase road space for motor vehicles would increase traffic and pollution. His support for a 50 per cent increase in flights from City Airport and a new multi-runway airport in the Thames Estuary sets him apart as a candidate who does not respect the urgent need to tackle air pollution and climate change. Boris tops the ranking on green spaces, but comes last in all other categories.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1.            ‘London’s next Mayor: who is the greenest candidate?’ is available here.

2.            Decisions made by the next Mayor of London will protect the capital's health and natural environment and have a decisive impact on the Britain's ability to meet our national climate commitments. London also has a leadership role on the international stage - where pioneering cities are making more progress than national governments in action for more sustainable living.

3.            Air pollution is a major problem in the capital with four thousand Londoners dying prematurely from air pollution every year. London is currently facing a £300 million EU fine because of its failure to keep air pollution within legal limits – and will be fined more heavily if standards continue to be breached.

4.            Aviation is also a serious issue for Londoners. Any aviation expansion in London and the South East would increase climate-changing emissions as well as local air pollution. There is a clear divide amongst candidates on this crucial issue.

5.            Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace are politically independent organisations; we receive no funding from political parties and endorse no candidate in this election.