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Press Release - From the Mayor of London
The Mayor of London was today (Tuesday 18th July) launched a report examining how other world cities are adapting to climate change and which makes recommendations for action London can take.
The ‘Lessons for London’ report looks at cities across the world that are presently dealing with climatic conditions that London could experience in decades to come. The report highlights the lessons that London can learn from, for example, how Melbourne is managing its water resources efficiently, and how Shanghai and Philadephia are adapting to city heatwaves. Climate change means that London is likely to start seeing an increasing risk of flooding, higher temperatures and more demand on already limited water resources. The report by the London Climate Change Partnership considers what other international cities are doing to manage climate change and extreme weather risks and makes key recommendations to national, regional and London local government, the Environment Agency, the water industry and health practitioners to help London and Londoners prepare for climate change.
It highlights the importance of city-wide planning such as through the London Plan and partnership working between different organisations, and across geographic boundaries. It advises that the retrofit of climate adaptation measures to existing buildings and infrastructure presents a real challenge for London and there needs to be a focus on how this can be done effectively. It suggests that the opportunities for ‘climate-proofing’ new development should be driven through the planning process.
The report identifies where building’s design features – such as green roofs and new parks can provide a win- win solution to climate change, reducing flood risk, cooling the city and providing amenity and biodiversity benefits.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: ‘Climate change is at the top of my agenda, which is why last week I asked Transport for London to bring forward plans to tackle the problem of cars with high carbon emissions.
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