The new £25 C-Charge will increase CO2 by 182,000 tonnes according to a report carried out by King’s College. The research was never publicy released by Transport for London (TfL) even though they requested the research.
This not only contradicts the Mayor’s claims that his charge will reduce CO2, but also directly contradicts claims made by Transport for London.
In a report prepared for TfL by King’s College London’s ‘Environmental Research Group’, which used models to assess the impact of the new charge on emissions, the new charge is predicted to create a “very high disbenefit” not only for CO2 but also for NOx, NO2 and PM10, all crucial air quality components.
In fact, the King’s report shows that should the Mayor’s proposal go ahead there will be an increase in CO2 emitted in Greater London in each year from 2009. By 2012, research shows that in Outer London the increase in CO2 will be nearly 184,000 tonnes, with just 2,200 tonnes saved in Central London giving a net increase of 182,000 tonnes. The report indicates that the increase is largely caused by increased car mileage outside of the congestion-charging zone as a result of the new charge. These findings directly contradict both Mayor Livingstone’s and TfL’s claims.
Commenting on the release of this report, Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars GB, said, “We always knew the environmental impact of this unfair tax would be minimal, now we know it will make matters worse. The Mayor and TfL need to explain why this report was not disclosed and why they want to increase taxes on motorists that will increase CO2.”
The full King’s College report is available upon request as is additional information on the charge and the Porsche judicial review can be found at www.porschejudicialreview.co.uk
Simon McBride
