Mayor admits London is not on course for 2030 climate target

Created on

21 November 2024

Mayor admits London is not on course for 2030 climate target

Following deadly droughts in Zambia, harrowing floods in Valencia, and apocalyptic pollution in Delhi, Zack Polanski AM demanded to know why the Mayor continues to fall behind on his own climate targets. [1]

During today's Mayor's Question Time, the Mayor admitted that London is now off course for his 2030 net zero goal, dubiously claiming that Government will speed up action despite no commitment to do so.

Worse still, Government appears to be actively working against the Mayor's already lagging climate targets. The Autumn Budget supported an expansion of London City Airport, while the Cabinet continues to debate further expansion at Heathrow Airport, both of which making a mockery of London's commitment to better tackling the climate crisis. [2]

Furthermore, the Mayor has barely made a dent in his pledge to retrofit London's housing stock: since 2021, just 157 London homes were upgraded, while two-thirds of councils failed to upgrade any homes at all, a far cry from the pace needed to prepare London for the climate extremes ahead. [3]

Following their exchange, Green Party London Assembly Member Zack Polanski said:

"Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity, let alone to Londoners.

"When the world is stumbling on action on climate change, we need cities to step in and lead. The Mayor must push Government for the fastest possible pace on retrofit - we need a revolution now so that net zero in 2030 can ultimately be reached.

"Yet when presented with chance after chance to take bold action on behalf of our city, the Mayor has lagged, dithered, and punted responsibility in favour of nice headlines. The Mayor and Government need a serious wakeup call if London is going to meet its 2030 net-zero target."

Notes to editors

[1] How a mega dam has caused a mega power crisis for Zambia / Valencia floods: Spain clings to fragments of hope in time of disaster / Living in Delhi smog is like watching a dystopian film again and again

[2] Autumn Budget 2024 / Labour indicates it would back £14 billion plan for a third runway at Heathrow more than 20 years after the controversial plans were first introduced

[3] Greens slam progress of London Mayor's 'retrofit revolution'