and there are questions about the benefits it will deliver. city hall has claimed the policy has reduced nitrogen dioxide levels by around 30%. but an initial study by a team at imperial college found it had only helped lower n02 levels by around 3%, with a negligible effect on ozone and particulate pollution. the mayor s office later wrote to the college urging them to re examine their findings. so the true benefit of all this is a bit of a mystery. let s talk to bob ward, policy director at grantham research institute on climate change and the environment. thank you for being with us, perhaps you can help us with this, where s the truth as to the benefit of what sadiq khan has put in place? weill. sadiq khan has put in place? well, ou sadiq khan has put in place? well, you mentioned sadiq khan has put in place? well, you mentioned that sadiq khan has put in place? well, you mentioned that imperial - sadiq khan has put in place? -ii you mentioned that imperial college study that
and i would put it to you that a whole bunch of economists now, as well as environmental campaigners, say that that goal is incompatible with this notion that the world must constantly strive for ever greater economic growth. do you, as an economist, recognise that? well, since its inception, i ve been on the advisory board at the grantham research institute on climate change and the environment with nick stern here at the lse and imperial in london. so i ve been very much arguing the green agenda. i would argue that green and growth do go hand in hand. but coming back to your question, it s very much about changing the growth agenda. the growth model in the uk, for instance, where we ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 42% between 1990 and 2019, that can become more pro growth and green at the same time. there is an inherent challenge that many people. does it require you notjust. that s a nice mantra, it s a good slogan, but does it require you to rethink your view of what capital
notion that the world must constantly strive for ever greater economic growth. do you, as an economist, recognise that? well, since its inception, i ve been on the advisory board at the grantham research institute on climate change and the environment with nick stern here at the lse and imperial in london. so i ve been very much arguing the green agenda. i would argue that green and growth do go hand in hand. but coming back to your question, it s very much about changing the growth agenda. the growth model in the uk, for instance, where we ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 42% between 1990 and 2019, that can become more pro growth and green at the same time. there is an inherent challenge that many people. does it require you notjust. that s a nice mantra, it s a good slogan, but does it require you to rethink your view of what capitalism does? rebecca henderson, an economist at harvard, says this, part of the problem is a failure to imagine that capitalism can