Ken Livingstone has launched his environmental manifesto with a bold bid to turn this into a decisive issue: he says he wants this to be Britain's first "green election". He deserves real credit for doing so. His policies reflect a genuine concern to tackle the issue of carbon emissions. He has committed no less than £500 million to expand cycle routes and introduce cheap cycle hire. He is doing his best to use the congestion charge to address the problem of pollution - not least through his punitive charge on gasguzzlers. And he wants a 20mph speed limit in residential areas.

Mr Livingstone has in this respect set the pace for other candidates. But although he is right to make this issue a priority, there remain questions about how effective his policies have been. The problem with expanding the remit of the congestion charge is that this can undermine its primary purpose, to reduce congestion. Meanwhile, Mr Livingstone's aggressive pro-development stance is in itself inimical to the preservation of green spaces as well as generating considerable carbon emissions. But for the moment, his green plans are both bolder and more detailed than those of his rivals.

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