Collaborative Climate Change Approach: GLA & London Councils

Since 1982 the rate of warming has been more than three times faster than before at 0.2° C per decade. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, as set in the Paris Agreement, a collaborative approach must be adopted by local authorities. We were pleased to welcome Kate Hand, Head of Climate Change at London’s Future Directorate, for London Councils, and Karen Soria, Senior Policy and Programmes Officer, Environment, at the Greater London Authority, to our Local Government Climate Action Conference 2023. Their keynote presentations demonstrated the importance of acting cohesively and urgently. These are both exclusively available to watch below with summaries.

London is taking significant steps to address climate change through a collaborative, cross-organisational approach. Two key entities driving this effort are London Councils and the Greater London Authority (GLA), each playing a critical role in implementing policies and initiatives to achieve the city’s net zero target by 2030. Here is a comparison of their approaches and contributions to London’s climate action.

London Councils’ Approach

Leadership and Organisation

• Representing Local Authorities: London Councils acts as the collective voice for the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation, advocating for their needs and facilitating collaboration at local, regional, and national levels​
• Climate Action Programme: Initiated in 2020, the programme recently received a £2 million boost to enhance its implementation and hire new climate officers​ (London Councils)​.

Key Focus Areas

• Energy Systems, Transport, Buildings, and Consumption: These are the primary areas targeted by the programme, each led by specific boroughs to utilise local expertise effectively​ (London City Hall)​.
• Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Emphasis on training for borough officers, creating practitioner groups, and developing toolkits to support low-carbon initiatives across boroughs​ (London Councils)​.

Examples of Collaborative Work

1. Climate Training for Borough Officers: Basic climate change modules for all council officers to ensure widespread understanding and commitment.
2. West London Low Carbon Procurement Toolkit: Helps embed low carbon considerations into procurement processes.
3. Local Area Energy Plan: A pioneering sub-regional energy plan by nine West London boroughs, optimising energy systems and the built environment to achieve net zero​​​ (London Councils)​.
4. National Collaboration through 3Ci: Securing private investment for local net zero projects, aggregating over 1,000 projects worth £52 billion​ (London City Hall)​.

Engagement and Delivery

• Initiatives: Projects like Harrow’s “Eat Like a Londoner” website and the Home Upgrade Grant improve energy efficiency and promote sustainable living.
• E-Scooter Trials: Enhancing multimodal transport options in partnership with TfL​ (London Councils)​.

Greater London Authority’s Approach

Strategic Policies and Targets

• London Plan 2020-2021: Serves as the spatial development blueprint for Greater London, with policies SI2 and SI3 aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing energy infrastructure​.
• District Heating Networks: Plans to connect 160,000 homes to district heating networks by 2030, using recoverable heat sources like waste heat from data centres and the London Underground​ (London City Hall)​.

Comprehensive Carbon Reduction

• Whole Lifecycle Carbon Approach: Encompasses emissions from all stages of a building’s lifecycle, ensuring a thorough assessment and mitigation of carbon impact​.
• Carbon Offset Funds: Developments that cannot achieve net zero onsite can contribute to local authorities’ carbon offset funds, supporting energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations​ (London City Hall)​.

Achievements and Future Directions

• Significant Emission Reductions: In 2021, policies led to saving 38,145 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 32,000 flights from London to New York​
• Ongoing and Future Efforts: Continued acceleration in climate action is required, focusing on both regulated and embodied carbon emissions to meet the 2030 target​ (London City Hall)​​.

The Need For Robust Collaboration

London’s approach to climate change is characterised by robust collaboration between London Councils and the GLA. While London Councils focuses on facilitating borough-level initiatives and fostering cross-borough collaboration, the GLA drives strategic policy implementation and large-scale infrastructure projects. Both organisations are integral to achieving the ambitious net zero target, highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts, comprehensive planning, and substantial investments in climate action.

This was presented at our Local Government Climate Action Conference 2023. For more detailed information, you can visit London City Hall and London Councils. To hear the latest insights on environmental policies on local governments and authorities, please see our latest event below.

What delegates will receive:

• Join us to hear the latest guidance and best practices in enabling biodiversity net gain.
• High-level keynotes will provide insights into the latest national updates and strategic guidance on working in partnership to deliver biodiversity net gain.
• Topics of best practice include insights into integrating green infrastructure into the development process and implementing strategies to provide a sustainable solution to woodland and habitat conservation.
• A breakout networking session offers the opportunity to share your experiences whilst networking with other senior colleagues from a variety of sectors.
• CPD points towards your yearly quota.