Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is proposing a ban on log burners across the city as part of a new initiative to clamp down on emissions and improve air quality. The policy, which would require homeowners with wood stoves to remove them, is also set to include curbs on domestic bonfires.
Under the current regulations, local authorities have the power to implement smoke control areas and bonfire bans on council property. However, these measures typically only prohibit the burning of certain fuels, such as wet wood. Homeowners can often still burn dry logs in modern wood burners if they meet efficiency standards.
To enforce a broader ban on log burners, Khan is seeking to introduce area-specific bans through new zero-emission zones. He has requested additional powers from the government to implement these measures, arguing that existing rules hinder his efforts to reduce emissions. Khan maintains that even small increases in solid fuel burning can disproportionately harm public health.
This proposal aligns with broader efforts by the Labour party to restrict wood-burning stoves to meet emission targets, potentially in line with European Union standards.
Sir James Cleverly, a potential candidate for the Conservative nomination for Mayor in 2028, criticized Khan's proposal. He stated that the mayor should prioritize policing streets and facilitating development over regulating domestic heating. Cleverly suggested that London needs to be unshackled from new regulations to foster growth and ambition.
Khan's tenure as mayor has been marked by several emission-cutting policies, including the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the promotion of active travel initiatives like low-traffic neighborhoods and increased road space for cyclists. However, the expansion of ULEZ into outer London areas has drawn criticism from some residents who view it as an anti-motorist policy.
Recent analysis has questioned the effectiveness of the ULEZ in improving air quality. While the Mayor's office stated in June that ULEZ has led to a 24% reduction in harmful roadside NO2 concentrations in outer London and that London met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide for the first time in 2024, data from local authorities suggests otherwise. More than half of London boroughs continue to record illegal levels of NO2, a gas primarily emitted by diesel vehicles. At least 18 areas have recorded annual average levels above the legal limit of 40 micrograms per cubic metre, with some monitoring stations in Romford and the City of London showing levels nearly double the limit in 2024.
The Mayor's office maintains that ULEZ has been a significant success in cleaning London's air and that they continuously monitor data to address remaining challenges, aiming to build a greener and fairer city for all Londoners. The proposed ban on log burners is presented as another step in this ongoing effort to improve air quality.