Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has partnered with 11 major UK businesses to help make London the world’s greenest city.
The partnership, named the London Business Climate Leaders group, aims to significantly cut pollution and emissions far below government targets. This will involve using 100 per cent renewable energy in their London properties by 2020 as well as transitioning to zero-emission vehicles by 2025 to reduce air pollution.
The companies comprising the London Business Climate Leaders group together employ more than 165,000 people in London. The new group is made up of multi-nationals such as Sky, Siemens, Tesco and RELX group as well as property and construction companies like Derwent London, Landsec, ISG and Morgan Sindall Group, who represent London’s and the UK’s largest developers.
The formation of the new group comes off the back of the Khan’s London Environment Strategy in May 2018. Khan, said: “I’m doing everything in my power to reduce London’s carbon footprint, and going further and faster than national government to make London a zero-carbon city by 2050.
“This network is a great example of how cities and businesses can come together to take bold action on climate change. Not only are these businesses committed to renewable energy, clean transport and reducing waste, they’re also committed to working together to achieve results as quickly as possible.”
Since 40 percent of London’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from workplaces in the private sector, it’s important that the sector makes positive steps to tackle climate change.
Group members have pledged to:
• Transition company owned vehicles to become zero emission capable and/or assist the development of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in London for new properties by 2025
• Use 100 per cent renewable energy for London based properties and assessing the potential of on-site renewable energy generation by 2020
• Set 2020, 2030 and 2050 energy efficiency targets that aim for zero carbon buildings by 2050 in London
• Reduce waste by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieve 75 per cent recycling rates for businesses as well as zero waste to landfill by 2025
The London Business Climate Leaders group has been developed alongside sustainability organisations CDP, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), The B Team and the We Mean Business coalition, with funding provided by the Ikea foundation.
Frances Way, chief operating officer at CDP, said: “This initiative has the potential to accelerate action on climate change and create a greener, thriving and more resilient city. It is our hope that cities worldwide will adopt this collaborative, insight-driven approach which has the potential to lead to meaningful action on climate change.
A thriving economy that works for people and planet is within our reach and for those who get ahead of the curve on environmental action, many opportunities await.”
The Mayor has also implemented the capital’s first Climate Action Week in July next year. It aims to market London as a global hub for climate change expertise and mitigation services and to engage Londoners in emission and pollution reduction schemes in the business, finance, culture and other sectors.
Nick Mabey, Chief Execitive of E3G and co-Chair of London climate week said:
“Climate week will put a global spotlight on London’s world-leading cluster of businesses and institutions working to address global climate change. For too long London-based organisations have worked in isolation. This event will help them work better together on global climate solutions and to engage more effectively with peers from across the world”
The Mayor has shown commitment to cooperating with business to deliver local action that will have a global impact, helping London to keep its targets from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
