In July, climate experts warned the new Labour government that its predecessor’s plans for reducing carbon emissions were falling well behind what was needed if the UK is to meet it target of achieving net zero by 2050.
The independent Climate Change Committee (CCC), which monitors progress towards that legally-binding target, said only a third of the actions required to meet the government’s interim milestone of a 68 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 were covered by “credible” plans, and that overall the UK was “off track for net zero”.
Now, the London Assembly’s environment committee has received its own warnings from the CCC and others that attaining Sadiq Khan’s even more ambitious target of achieving net zero in London by 2030 could be in doubt too.
The committee heard that there has been significant progress in the capital: emissions are down by some 50 per cent compared to 1990, the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement baseline, and down 21 per cent since Mayor Khan came into office in 2016, according to latest figures.
But that was the easy bit, substantially achieved by decarbonising energy supply – swapping out coal for offshore wind and other renewables – the CCC’s acting chief executive James Richardson (pictured) told Assembly members. The focus now has to be on things people will notice – how they get around, and how they heat their homes – he said.
In London, greenhouse gas emissions from buildings pose the biggest challenge, with transport a close second. Despite some success, there’s a lot still to do. Khan’s ambitious target requires two million London homes and a quarter of a million non-domestic buildings to be properly insulated, 2.2 million heat pumps to be in operation, 460,000 buildings connected to clean energy heating networks, a fully net-zero bus fleet and 40,000 electric vehicle charging points to be in place, all in little more than five years.
The cross-party London Councils, which represents the capital’s local authorities, has put a price tag of £49 billion on the work required to make all of London’s 3.8 million homes energy efficient, and the Mayor’s strategy suggests at least £75 billion in infrastructure investment will be needed overall by 2030.
Of course, City Hall can’t do all this alone. The main responsibility lies with central government, with private investment vital too, Richardson said. The CCC has told Parliament it could get the country back on track, but more action was urgent.
That means getting many more heat pumps into existing homes (today, just one per cent have one installed), getting more and more of us into electric cars, and getting thousands more vehicle charging points in place. Outdated planning rules making heat pump installation difficult should be reformed and electricity prices brought down too. It was important, Richardson added, that “doing the right thing is also the thing that saves you money”, and that each individual should be encouraged to do what they could “in their own way”.
Labour’s £3.4 billion budget boost to “warm homes” funding for decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures was welcome, he added. But the government should also reverse its predecessor’s relaxation of plans to phase out new fossil fuel-powered boilers and cars. The CCC had warned that these were undermining business and consumer confidence in the government’s commitment to its net zero targets.
The government should also do more to tackle misinformation about climate action, he said. “The facts haven’t changed. If anything it’s become more urgent. A scientific, evidence-led approach is the only one that will succeed. Government needs to bust some of the myths.”
Does it matter if targets are missed? Not so much, said Richardson, though he agreed it was important not to change targets once set. “Action is more important than targets,” he said, adding that “every 0.1 degree [of global warming averted] is worth fighting for.”
There’s plenty of activity underway. Transport for London is now inviting bidders to invest in and set up “solar farms”, initially to provide around five per cent of the electricity needed to run the London Underground network, and solar panels being installed at the London Staium on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with low-cost financing from Khan’s £500 million Green Finance Fund will make it one of the world’s greenest sporting venues.
Last week also saw £1 billion plans unveiled for the UK’s biggest low-carbon heat network, supplying heat to buildings in central London, including the Houses of Parliament. A similar network is planned for the Mayor’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, with both schemes pump-primed by government funding. And the latest City Hall data shows that tough London Plan rules for new buildings are delivering carbon savings in new buildings 57 per cent higher than the levels required by national building regulations.
But perhaps more significant than individual schemes is the recent revamping of Khan’s London Partnership Board, bringing City Hall together with councils, business, other public sector and civil society leaders, with a new mission board to “drive and coordinate” city-wide action, including on climate change. In an increasingly-apparent climate emergency, there’s a lot at stake.
Watch the environment committee meeting in full here.
OnLondon.co.uk provides unique coverage of the capital’s politics, development and culture. Support it for just £5 a month or £50 a year and get things for your money other people won’t. Details HERE. Follow Charles Wright on Bluesky and on X/Twitter.