Mayoral candidates get green

9:50am Monday 18th February 2008

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FOUR main candidates for London Mayor have shown off their green credentials at a public hustings.

The event, How Green is London's Future?, was hosted by the environmental campaign group and charity Green Alliance on February 14.

Boris Johnson praised Tory boroughs for their recycling schemes and singled out Bexley for getting people to give back what they have bought in supermarkets at recycling bays.

Mayor Ken Livingstone stressed the need to drive down CO2 emissions and defended his policy to introduce a £25 congestion charge on gas-guzzling cars.

He said the money raised would go towards promoting cycling and walking.

Green Party candidate Sian Berry said the current CO2 emissions targets did not go far enough and London needed to cut emissions by 60 per cent by 2025.

There was unanimous opposition from the candidates to plans for a sixth terminal and a third runway at Heathrow.

Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick said he would develop high streets to encourage people to shop locally and introduce a £10 charge for people who drive into the capital from outside Greater London.