New data published by London’s City Hall shows that the capital’s net zero policies are lowering its carbon emissions significantly faster than the national average.
City Hall’s 2023 Energy Monitoring report reveals that emissions from proposed new developments in London were 57% lower than requirements set out by national building regulations, owing to policies set out in the Mayor’s London Plan.
The Mayor’s London Plan, the most recent version of which was published in 2021 by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, sets a net zero carbon emissions target for all major planning applications in the capital, where developers are unable to achieve net zero on-site, they are required to contribute funding to decarbonisation projects across London.
More than a quarter of the emissions savings were the result of energy efficiency measures being installed, such as insulation. Additionally, 84% of proposed developments in London, including over 20,000 homes, plan to use heat pumps for their heating system, with the lion’s share of these taking the form of large, centralised heat pumps servicing a number of buildings. The vast majority of proposed developments (92%) will include solar panels.
Deputy Mayor for environment and energy Mete Coban said: “It’s fantastic to see London leading the country in reducing emissions and that the Mayor’s ambitious planning policies are bringing down energy bills and helping Londoners become more energy efficient. Sadiq and I will continue to work tirelessly to help boost London’s green economy to build a better, greener city for everyone.”
London’s net zero ambitions
London has made major strides in reducing emissions in more areas than building planning. The London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which was also published by City Hall on 4 November and examines London’s emissions over a month-long sample period, noted that total emissions in the capital have fallen by 21% since Khan was elected Mayor in 2016. This is a markedly larger drop than seen in the rest of the country, where the national average emissions reduction over this timeframe is 16%.
Transport is one of the sectors receiving the largest amount of attention towards the net zero transition, and the effort is paying off; since 2016, London has seen an 18% drop in transport emissions compared to a nationwide average of 13%.
In September, UK Power Networks (UKPN) invested £4 million into London’s grid system to facilitate more electric buses in Transport for London’s (TfL) network. The network operator installed a new 4.5MW power connection, which will allow 109 new electric buses to operate out of the Whitehall Road depot.
As reported by our sister publication Solar Power Portal, TfL has also opened a bidding round for solar developers willing to create a bespoke solar power plant for the London Underground network. The winning bidder will design and deliver a solar development of up to 64MW, which represents roughly 5% of the electricity needed to run the Tube network across the capital.
