Climate change and London
Climate change is an environmental, social and economic challenge on a global scale and is now at the top of the London's agenda. The challenge is particularly steep for big cities like London. London consumes as much energy as countries like Portugal or Greece, and produces over 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
London Energy Partnership is a key element in London's response to the challenges of climate change, security of energy supply and fuel poverty. Its aim is to transform London into a world-class city for sustainable energy. Its role is to bring together a range of sectors and organisations to deliver energy action more effectively.
Many consider that hydrogen - coupled with a device called a fuel cell - will increasingly provide us all with clean energy in the future. Our cars, buses, mobile phones, laptops, home generators, powerstations and so on could be clean ... and quiet!
London Hydrogen Partnership is working to make this technology a reality in the capital and improve our air quality, reduce greenhouse gases and noise, improve energy security and support London’s green economy.
London's Climate Change Action Plan
The London Climate Change Action Plan released in February 2007 established the path for turning London into a low carbon City. The plan makes it clear that to tackle climate change Londoners do not have to reduce their quality of life but have to change the way they live. The plan sets ambitious targets to reduce carbon dioxide CO2 emissions reductions by 20% relative to 1990 levels by 2016, as the crucial first step on the path to acheiving reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 60% relative to 1990 levels by 2025. Without much more rigorous national and international action, including introducing widespread carbon pricing, by 2025 London's emissions level will only have stabilised at just 30% below 1990 levels.
The plan identified that London’s electricity and gas consumption causes emissions of 35 million tonnes of CO2 per annum, 75% of London’s emissions and is set to increase by 15% by 2025, if nothing is done to reduce emissions. These emissions are normally smeared across end use but energy supply is the primary cause of climate change which is why the Plan sets a target to enable 25% of London’s energy supply to be moved off reliance on the grid and on to local decentralised energy systems by 2025, with more than 50% of London’s energy being supplied in this way by 2050.
London Energy Strategy
The London Energy Strategy released in 2003 set a target to install at least 7,000 (or 15MW peak capacity) domestic photovoltaic installations, 250 (or 12MW peak capacity) photovoltaic applications on commercial and public buildings and 500 small wind generators associated with public or private sector buildings. In terms of economic development the London Development Agency’s Green Alchemy Turning Green to Gold: Powering London’s Future – A Study of the Sustainable Energy Sector identified that the potential sustainable energy sector generated as a direct result of deploying technologies as set out in London Energy Strategy could be worth around £3.35 billion and employ between 5,000 and 7,500 people.
None of these targets or economic benefits will be achieved unless action is taken on the ground to implement decentralised energy systems in London and key in this is the LCCA and the GLA Group ‘showing by doing’. Renewable energy is part of the suite of measures needed to deliver the London's targets and building integrated renewable energy (primarily solar and wind energy) is a key part of the renewable energy measures that will need to be implemented in and around London to achieve the ambious targets ahead of us.
Adaptation
London is already beginning to be affected by impacts of climate change. With more intense rainfall and rising sea levels, the threat of flooding is now more acute. Summertime temperatures are increasing, with impacts on transport infrastructure, health and the local economy. The London Climate Change Partnership was established to coordinate London’s response in adapting to unavoidable climate change. In some areas, adapting to climate change may lead to increasing carbon emissions, for example as people buy electric air conditioners to cope with hotter summers. The LCCP and LCCA will work closely together to provide solutions to these challenges and opportunities.
C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group
More widely, London is a leading member of the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, which is working with the Clinton Climate Initiative in a partnership to reduce emissions across the world.
Public Perception of Climate Change
A recent report by Ipsos MORI focuses on the perspectives of the public, the way they think and behave in relation to climate change, as well as their values and aspirations. Findings include the following: 88% believe, irrespective of the cause, that the climate is changing; 68% believe they have personally seen evidence of climate change; 46% think climate change is mainly caused by humans,9% think it is mainly caused by natural processes,and 41% think it is a mixture of both; 44% are very concerned about climate change, 38% fairly concerned, and 15% unconcerned; 22% believe the issue has been exaggerated while 48% strongly disagree; 70% believe that if there is no change, the world will soon experience a major environmental crisis; 12% feel they know a great deal about climate change while 57% feel they know a fair amount; 63% want more information in order to form a clear opinion; 45% see climate change as the most serious threat to the future well-being of the world but only 19% see it as the most important issue facing Britain.
Published 4 July 2007 / Conducted by Ipsos MORI / Survey of 2031 UK adults
http://www.ipsos-mori.com/polls/2007/climatechange.shtml
Carbon Reduction Commitment
The economic value of the LCCA's and other GLA Group's renewable energy schemes is likely to increase still further with the introduction of the UK Carbon Reduction Commitment, announced in the Energy White Paper 2007, which will apply mandatory emissions trading to cut carbon emissions from large commercial and public sector organisations (including supermarkets, hotel chains, government departments and large local authority buildings).
EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive
The Directive will apply to the GLA Group of buildings and Energy Performance Certificates will be required to be put on public display in buildings accessible to the public. Incorporating renewable energy at City Hall and Palestra will improve the certificate rating but other measures are also being taken to improve the energy performance of City Hall and Palestra still further such as further energy efficiency measures for both buildings and the fuel cell CHP trigeneration project at Palestra.
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Completed in 1983, the Thames Barrier protects London from flood surges. By 2100 it is estimated that it will have to be closed 200 times a year to protect the capital from tidal flooding. Future flood defence needs of London are being reviewed by the Environment Agency