Most London Councils Still Run Diesel Fleets Despite Clean Air Goals

The majority of London’s borough councils continue to operate vehicle fleets powered predominantly by diesel, despite the capital’s clean air ambitions, new analysis shows.

Freedom of Information requests by Impact on Urban Health reveal that 71% of responding councils report diesel makes up most of their vehicles. These fleets include bin lorries, street cleaners, and maintenance vans that operate daily in residential areas. Based on the responses, London’s councils operate an estimated 5,000 diesel vehicles.

Some councils are leading the shift to cleaner transport. Islington Council has already introduced 150 fully electric vehicles, while Lewisham Council has 285 electric vehicles and just four diesel, making it a clear leader in the transition.

Three other councils have electric and hybrid vehicles making up more than half their fleets:

• Hammersmith and Fulham: 82%

• Westminster: 60%

• Kingston upon Thames: 52%

At the other end of the scale, diesel still dominates:

• Hillingdon: 97% diesel

• Richmond: 96% diesel

• Bexley: 95% diesel

While diesel car ownership in London fell 44% between 2019 and 2023, Havering Council’s most recent acquisitions show a different trend: all 100 vehicles purchased in the past five years were diesel.

The Government has set ambitious targets to phase out fossil fuel vehicles:

• Sale of new petrol and diesel cars banned from 2030

• Hybrids banned from 2035

• New non-zero emission HGVs (≤26 tonnes) banned from 2035, with larger trucks following in 2040

Ben Pearce, Head of the Health Effects of Air Pollution Programme at Impact on Urban Health, said:

“The air we breathe shapes our health. In too many London neighbourhoods, that air is dangerously polluted, and diesel vehicles are a major contributor. London’s councils are on the front line of delivering cleaner, healthier neighbourhoods, but too many are still operating fleets that add to the problem rather than help solve it.Lewisham has proven that rapid transition is possible. The challenge now is ensuring that all Londoners, regardless of where they live, can benefit from cleaner air equally. Councils must be supported to make the switch to cleaner vehicles.”

Eight councils did not respond to the Freedom of Information request: Barking, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, and Sutton.