Candidates in the race to become the next Mayor of London have committed to a target for the city to become zero carbon and run on 100% clean energy by the year 2050.
Labour candidate Sadiq Khan and Green Party candidate Sian Berry both endorsed the target at a launch event held at the Royal Institute of British Architects yesterday (Monday) evening, while Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith and the Liberal Democrat’s Caroline Pidgeon said they welcomed the aim.
The plan has been drawn up by think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in response to news that London currently looks set to miss a target to reduce emissions by 60% by 2025.
It sets out a total of 21 commitments from a future mayor – nine ‘essential’ and 12 ‘desirable’ – if London is to derive all of its energy from renewable sources and be carbon free by 2050.
The essential commitments include a measure to retrofit London’s homes with energy efficiency measures, develop a city-wide strategy for solar despite proposed reductions to the feed-in tariff, develop a distributed energy network in London and scale up investment in London transport.
The benefits of adopting the plan IPPR said include promoting economic growth in the city, creating jobs, saving money and improving health and life expectancy.
The plan’s unveiling came on the same day that Labour MP and shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy revealed that more than 50 Labour-run councils had signed up to also be emission-free by 2050.
