Sadiq Khan

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was under immense pressure to abandon a key green policy ahead of his re-election last May. Months before, Labour Party leader and now Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Khan to “reflect” on his plan to expand a tax on high-polluting vehicles, blaming it for their party’s failure to win an important London parliamentary seat. Instead, Khan doubled down, saying clean air was “a human right” and launching a new 10-point climate action plan. He won a historic third term by a large margin. "This is a moment which demands the courage to take decisions, meet responsibilities and find a way," he said afterward. 

Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a major European capital, has a simple rationale for why politicians shouldn’t shy away from climate-centered platforms: “Green policies aren't just environmentally friendly, they’re really popular as well.” The key to persuading voters, he says, is showing that green projects like improving home efficiency and slashing pollution "are also policies that tackle social injustice, racial injustice, and health inequalities."

The 54-year-old has faced criticism for building a new road tunnel under the River Thames, but his list of climate achievements is significant. London has the most electric buses of any city in Western Europe, and he has dramatically expanded bike lanes and EV charging points, moved to divest the city’s pension funds from fossil fuels, planted half a million trees, and even released beavers into the city as part of a rewilding drive. In his third term, Khan aims to put London on track to hit net zero by 2030, which will mean insulating over 2 million homes, installing 2.2 million heat pumps, slashing car use, and ending the sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles. —Max de Haldevang

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

The climate crisis is the biggest challenge we face, and the battle for survival in which we are now engaged will be won or lost in our cities. More than half the world’s population live in cities. By 2050, that figure will be nearly 70%. Today, cities account for around 70% of global energy consumption and global greenhouse gas emissions. I agree with UN Secretary-General António Guterres when he says mayors are “the world’s first responders to the climate emergency.”

Through C40 Cities – a global coalition of almost 100 cities, of which I am co-chair – we’re demonstrating the gap in both ambition and achievement between cities and nations. C40 cities have pledged to cut fossil fuel consumption by half by 2030, demonstrating the difference our cities can make. Now we need national governments to follow our lead.

Where should climate activism go in the next year?

Time is short and there is work to do in every direction. Collaboration with the public and private sector is key. We need to redirect public subsidies away from fossil fuels and into green technologies. In London, we’ve adopted strong divestment policies, moving billions of pounds out of fossil fuel industries into sustainable alternatives. Not only have we divested from fossil fuels, but we lead a C40 network helping cities across the world do the same. This collective divestment – now totalling over $500 billion across 20 cities – creates a global ripple effect, pushing for a green economy. This has not only proven financially sound but has also catalyzed investment in green industries. London was once again – and for the fifth time in a row – found to be the top city in the world for green finance. But we can always do more.

If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next COP, what would you say?

The climate crisis isn’t intractable – there is hope. With a clear message that is well-delivered and backed up by policy, you can make change happen. And if you want evidence, then look to London and what we’ve done to clean our air. Exposure to air pollution has a disastrous impact on people’s health. It’s also a matter of social and racial justice. In London, thanks to the world’s largest clean air zone, 10 million Londoners now breathe cleaner air. The level of roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution has been cut by half. In 2016, we had 455 schools located in areas with illegal levels of air pollution. At the last count, that number was under 20. Soon, it’ll be zero.

When I first ran to be mayor, I was told it would take 193 years to bring the quality of London’s air within legal limits. Now we’re on course to get there next year, 184 years earlier than projected. We’ve still got a long way to go, but my message would be: Don’t yield to cynicism. Be a part of the change you want to see. History will judge our leaders on what they do to tackle climate breakdown today, and whether they are brave enough to take the bold action necessary to ensure everyone thrives into the future.