On Monday 12 May, Jean Lambert, the Green MEP for London, will help launch the world’s largest fleet of battery-powered delivery vehicles. The electric vehicles will be rolled out in London and major towns in the UK, where they will help to reduce local air pollution, as part of TNT’s mail and express delivery service.
Journalists will be able to meet with Jean Lambert MEP as well as UK Government representatives, the Chief Executive of TNT, industry experts and key opinion-formers and there will be an opportunity to ride in one of the battery-powered vehicles.
David James the England and Portsmouth goalkeeper and the Football Association’s official ‘green’ envoy will also be joining the event.
Jean Lambert MEP, who has consistently campaigned to improve London’s air quality, said:
"Londoners suffer the health effects of poor air quality from the vast volumes of traffic moving around our city every day. Several hot spots fail to meet basic EU air quality standards and it’s estimated that 1000 people in London die prematurely every year, and a further 1000 are admitted to hospital, as a result of air pollution.
"Therefore I welcome this move from TNT and would encourage other businesses to follow suit. The next step is for the Government to ensure that the electricity generated to power these vehicles comes from renewable sources such as wind, solar and tidal energy. It’s essential that we make this shift to combat climate change and ensure that such vehicles are truly green, within the context of reducing traffic overall."