Sadiq Khan looks set to discuss Ulez with Pope Francis in a behind closed-door meeting in the Vatican City this week.
The London Mayor, who won re-election earlier this month after defeating Conservative challenger and Ulez-critic Susan Hall, will jet off to Italy on Wednesday.
Khan will also attend a climate change summit event at the Vatican on Thursday and lead a delegation of mayors from cities across the world.
The ex-Tooting MP will hold a private meeting with the 87-year-old head of the Catholic church.
Ulez to be discussed by Sadiq Khan with the Pope in behind closed doors meeting
PA
City Hall stressed the meeting is a “rare opportunity for the Mayor to share ongoing strategies and challenges that London and other global cities face in the realm of climate action”.
Khan said: “I am truly honoured to have been invited to participate in this key summit hosted by his Holiness Pope Francis, bringing together leading political, civic and religious leaders to tackle the biggest global threat we face today.
“I am determined for London to continue to be a world leader in tackling the twin dangers of air pollution and the climate emergency, but the need for coordinated global action has never been so urgent.
“As Mayor of one of the most diverse cities in the world, where we celebrate the huge contributions of different religious communities, it will also be an honour to discuss how faith and cooperation between different faiths can be a force for so much good.”
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The Ulez was expanded in August 2023 PAKhan’s scheduled visit will be his first since securing his third term at City Hall.
The London Mayor last year attended the UN summit on climate change in New York and at separately ventured down to the C40 event in Buenos Aires in 2022.
Pope Francis welcomed Khan’s 2016 victory by saying it personified the idea of integration within Europe, noting the West’s first Muslim city mayor chose to take his oath of office in Southwark Cathedral.
C40 will cover the cost incurred by Khan and two of his aides.
Sadiq Khan defeated Susan Hall in the London Mayoral Election earlier this month
PAHowever, another two aides will be covered by City Hall.
Khan is expected to share his “knowledge and insight” during the visit.
However, it is not yet known whether Ulez has improved London’s air quality as the expansion was only extended to the outer borough’s last August.
Levies on motorists have become a sticking point for Khan, with the three-time Mayor ditching plans to introduce a pay-per-mile smart road charging scheme during the election campaign.
