Boroughs’ community leadership key to tackling climate change in London

London's boroughs must provide their local communities with strong and clear leadership to help reduce the impact climate change will have on the capital - that is the message from a special conference held today (Wednesday).

The Green Directions for London: councils' role in tackling climate change conference heard that local councils were in a unique position to encourage their residents into helping achieve a 'greener' future for the capital.

The event, organised by London Councils and the London Environmental Directors' Network, outlined how London could be affected by climate change. It also highlighted some of the ways boroughs are reducing the pollutants being pumped into the air and increasing the amount of waste recycled.

London accounts for an estimated 8 per cent of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions. This rises to 11 per cent if aviation is included.

It is predicted that by 2020, London will be producing 23.6 million tonnes of waste a year. To meet government and European targets, 85 per cent of this waste would need to be recycled or disposed of within London.

The conference heard that climate change would mean the heatwave of 2003, which claimed the lives of 600 people in London, would be considered normal by the 2040s. However by the 2060s such conditions would be considered cool.

As a result of global warming, London would suffer from flooding, wind storms, subsidence, water shortages, and worsening air quality. 

London boroughs and their partners are working on a range of schemes to reduce the impact of climate change. These include encouraging more people to walk or cycle rather than use their cars, and using solar panels, wind turbines and green energy suppliers to power council buildings.

Merton Council has been awarded the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Silver Jubilee Cup, for its innovative 'Merton Rule' requiring developers to generate 10 per cent of their energy needs on their construction site

Sutton Council is working with schools, businesses and local residents to develop travel plans aimed at reducing the need for people to use their cars to get to work, go shopping or for the school run. This not only helps to protect the environment, but also improves peoples' health and reduces the numbers of vehicles on the borough's roads.

A new waste facility has recently opened at Frog Island for four East London boroughs which uses new 'greener' technologies to cope with the capital's waste and recycling needs. The plant is able to extract any recyclable materials from municipal waste collected by the boroughs, before then producing fuel from the remaining waste. The facility will be able to process 180,000 tonnes of household waste annually.