Ken Livingstone is the greenest' of the three main candidates for London mayor, according to an environmental group.

Friends of the Earth (FOE) came to this conclusion after analysing the election manifestos of the three principal contenders.

It concluded that Mr Livingstone has the strongest green credentials and scored him nine out of 10.

Boris Johnson was second with seven out of 10 and Brian Paddick was third with five out of 10.

Energy saving targets

FOE wants the next mayor to put the environment at the heart of their term in office and says they must:

  • Implement the London Climate Change Action Plan - which aims to cut carbon emissions in London by 60 per cent by 2025.
  • Set targets for saving energy from homes and buildings in the capital, and use clean, renewable energy technologies such as solar panels.
  • Oppose plans to expand London airports.
  • Cut carbon dioxide emissions from traffic in London by tackling traffic and congestion across the whole capital.

The final score for each candidate was reached by assessing the environment, economy, transport and housing policies in the election manifestos of the three main candidates.

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said: "As Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has put environmental issues at the heart of his policy making.

"He is one of the few British politicians to have shown genuine leadership on green issues and put London at the forefront of efforts to tackle climate change.

"His manifesto is full of exciting plans to go even further.

"Of the three main candidates for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone is the greenest.

"Boris Johnson's pledge to take action to make London the greenest city in the world' is welcome, and his manifesto has a number of proposals for achieving this.

"But his plans to scrap the £25 congestion charge on gas-guzzling vehicles and other, sometimes vague, green pledges cast doubt on whether he will achieve it.

'Sketchy' manifesto

"The Liberal Democrats have historically had very green policies.

"But, despite having some interesting ideas, Brian Paddick's manifesto is far too sketchy.

"The lack of a clear target to tackle climate change is a significant oversight."

A detailed analysis of the three main candidates' election manifestos is available at: http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/london_green_mayor.pdf