The mayor of Tower Hamlets today called for the government to bring forward a ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 10 years.
John Biggs said he has written to the prime minister to ask for the ban on the most polluting cars to be brought forward to 2030.
It is currently planned to come into force in 2040.
Tower Hamlets records some of the highest air pollution levels in London and the majority of harmful emissions, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), come from traffic.
In March the borough declared a climate emergency and announced plans to become a zero-carbon council by 2025. Mr Biggs said: "We face a climate emergency and we need urgent action. I'm calling on the government to ban sales of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030, a full ten years earlier than current plans.
"But we also need to help people who rely on their cars to make the switch to cleaner vehicles and other forms of transport. The government must step in and invest in a diesel scrappage scheme and put money back into green car grants."
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