Make London green capital of world says Ken

Ken Livingstone today calls for tough action to save the planet and make London the greenest city on earth.

He aims to cut the capital's carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2025 - twice as fast as government targets - through:

* An immediate increase in the cost of air travel to reflect its environmental damage.

* Neighbourhood power stations to prevent energy waste during transfer from the National Grid.

* Use of solar and wind power, and possibly wave power from the Thames.

* Getting Londoners to ditch their cars and travel to work by bike or public transport.

Today's climate change action plan was welcomed but critics warned it would amount to little without government backing.

Mike Tuffrey, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly, said: "Without a radical change of heart from the Labour government this action plan is barely worth the paper it's written on."

Mr Livingstone said his initiatives were aimed at tackling "the single biggest threat to the future development of human civilisation".

The Mayor said: "I hope for the sake of our children and grandchildren that we can still prevent catastrophic climate change, but to do so we have to act with great speed and decisiveness. The aim of this plan is to deliver decisive action in London with the urgency that is required.

"The simple message is this: to tackle climate change you do not have to reduce your quality of life, but you do have to change the way you live."