Campaigners are demanding a Dutch-style zero-emissions zone for London as diesel van use soars to an all-time peak.

A coalition of environmental and health groups, backed by the Royal College of Physicians’ special adviser on air quality, Sir Stephen Holgate, is pressuring the Mayor to phase out non-electric vans and trucks using strict Dutch-style border restrictions.

First launched across 18 Dutch cities including Amsterdam and Rotterdam, this model uses a highly specific, phased strategy that sets it apart from traditional low-emission zones such as London’s ULEZ.

Instead of immediately banning all older vehicles, a hard target date is set. After this date, any newly purchased or registered commercial van or truck must be 100% electric to enter the city centre. This avoids punishing small businesses that have recently invested in vehicles, and means existing diesel fleets are given a staggered grace period to transition.

A different date can be set for HGVs alongside exemptions for those who need them to ensure a just transition.

Analysis by Clean Cities, a key supporter of the initiative, has shown these zero-emission zones have been effective at driving a rapid shift to electric vans and trucks, offering a blueprint for cleaner, quieter and healthier urban freight across Europe.

The plans are raised in a joint letter to the Mayor of London, as new figures show diesel vans are now the biggest transport source of NOx pollution in inner and central London.

At the end of 2025, there were more than 100,000 diesel vans registered by companies in London – the highest-ever since records began.

In contrast, there were only 5,582 battery-electric vans registered by companies in London at the end of 2025. That means for every company electric van, there are 18 diesel vans polluting the air.

Just 2% of diesel vans scrapped under the Mayor’s ULEZ scrappage scheme were replaced with an electric van, despite more than £100m being spent.

This is in stark contrast to the number of company diesel cars, which has plummeted from an end-of-year high of 78,100 in 2015 to an end-of-year low of 22,400 in 2025.

Campaigners say the findings, based on new Department for Transport data, reveal a stark mismatch between ambition and action, with London meant to be aiming for net zero in 2030 and Sir Sadiq Khan’s manifesto commitment for London to be “the first EV-ready city”.

In the letter, they write: “The Dutch model works because it establishes clear, long-term rules and ensures that companies operate on a level playing field. It rewards those businesses of all sizes that have leaned into the transition. It sends a strong signal that the future of urban freight must be zero-emission.

“London now needs the same level of ambition.”

Official data proves the success of the Netherlands’ 18 zero-emission freight zones. These were implemented in 2025, with plans to expand to 29 municipalities by 2030. In the first half of 2025, 78.4% of newly registered vans in the Netherlands were battery-electric – far above the EU average of 8.5%.

Electric truck registrations rose by 187.6% year-on-year, representing a quarter of all new electric trucks sold in the EU.

Zak Bond, campaign manager at Clean Cities, said: “We need the Mayor of London to step in with the leadership needed to electrify London’s van fleets at the pace the climate and air quality crises demand.

“The Dutch have shown us that zero-emission zones for freight – after a certain date vans have to be electric to enter the zone – can accelerate the shift to cleaner vehicles. It’s time for some Dutch courage in London. ”

Andrew McCracken, director of external affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Every year, toxic air contributes to nearly 4,000 premature deaths across the capital, and has a devastating effect on people’s lungs, particularly children. Already, it is estimated that more than half a million Londoners are living with a lung condition.

“Without action to introduce a zero emissions zone for freight, the health benefits of existing air pollution measures risk being steadily eroded.”