Sadiq Khan launches climate plan for London

Labour's mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has launched what he says is a "new climate action plan" for London.

Mr Khan says this includes his Net Zero Schools initiative, and a recommitment to making the capital net zero by 2030.

Mr Khan attended a campaign event at a school in north London to launch the plan, alongside shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband.

The Conservative, Green and Liberal Democrat candidates have been contacted for comment.

At the event on Friday, Mr Khan said he was "proud of what we've done in London to tackle air pollution and the climate crisis", but was now "determined to go even further with a new 10-point climate action plan for our city, which includes exciting new initiatives like putting solar panels on school roofs".

As part of his plan Mr Khan aims to deliver a 100% zero-emission bus fleet in London by 2030, put air pollution filters in primary schools, provide more than 40,000 new public bike parking spaces by 2030 and more than double the number of electric vehicle charging points to 40,000 by 2030.

He has also pledged to help schools reach net zero, strengthen a programme to make homes and offices more energy-efficient and expand his School Streets initiative by restricting car access outside schools during drop-off and pick-up.

Among the candidate's broader climate pledges are creating jobs in green industries, increasing investment in walking and cycling and planting more trees.

Mr Khan warned Londoners the environment and net zero were crucial issues on the ballot paper, saying "the choice couldn't be starker" and "London is at a crucial crossroads moment".

"One path leads to clean air and our city continuing to be at the forefront of the fight to save our planet, while the other is a path that takes our city backwards, with toxic air polluting children's lungs and the consequences of having a climate science denier leading our city.

"Only voting Labour in London will keep green politics alive," he argued.

Mr Khan told supporters his Conservative opponent Susan Hall was "a proud anti-green candidate" and claimed she had promoted climate science denial, taking "a Trumpian approach to the climate crisis" - referring to former US President Donald Trump.

"She has opposed all the green policies we've introduced since 2016, backed the reintroduction of fracking," he added.

Ms Hall's key pledges include scrapping the expansion of the Ulez scheme on her first day in office.