London, England

London's Profile

London is the largest city in Europe, with approximately 7.5 million inhabitants, contributing around 20 percent to the United Kingdom's total gross domestic product. The administration is made up of a two-tier structure, in which the Greater London Authority (GLA), the citywide government, is in charge of strategic planning, economic development, transport, and police and fire services, and 33 local councils are in charge of local services such as schools, social services, local planning issues, and waste. The spatial development strategy set out by the mayor of London seeks to accommodate London's growth without intruding on the city's open spaces by increasing the city's currently relatively low density (4,730 inhabitants per square kilometer).

Climate Change and Energy

Climate change has become a top priority on the city's policy agenda since 2000, when the GLA (and the role of mayor of London) was established. In 2006, London's carbon dioxide emissions amounted to 44 million tons, comparable to that of countries such as Greece and Portugal and 8 percent of total U.K. emissions. A part of London's emissions are from landfill and waste incineration, but energy is the largest source of emissions, with the domestic sector accounting for 38 percent, followed by the commercial sector (33 percent), ground-based transport (22 percent), and industry (7 percent). Although emissions in the period 1990–2006 actually decreased by 1.5 percent, this is attributed to a decline in [Page 307]industrial activities in London and a more general shift in the United Kingdom's electricity generation mix from coal toward natural gas (and does not constitute a long-term trend).

The mayor set an ambitious target for London of a 60 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2025. As the bulk (75 percent) of emissions are caused by London's electricity and gas consumption, climate change and energy policy have become closely interlinked in London. The almost simultaneous publication of Energy Strategy and the London Plan in 2004 set up an unprecedented framework for tackling climate change in London (followed in 2007 by the Climate Change Action Plan). Policies have focused on three key areas: first, the planning system (by introducing a mandatory requirement of 10 percent on-site generation of renewable energy in new developments over a certain size); second, energy efficiency in the built environment by changing practices (schemes such as the Green Housing Programme and the Green Concierge Services for domestic users and Better Buildings Partnership, Green 500, and the Buildings Retrofit Programme for the commercial and public sectors); third, reducing London's carbon intensity by moving a quarter of London's energy supply to decentralized energy sources (mainly combined heat and power). To deliver these and involve key stakeholders from the business and third sectors, the mayor set up several strategic partnerships (such as the London Energy Partnership, London Hydrogen Partnership, and London Climate Change Agency). As a result there has been a steady increase in the installation of biomass boilers, heat pumps, solar thermal, and photovoltaic cells. London has also been a vocal player on the international climate policy stage, engaged in initiatives such as the C40 and the Clinton Climate Initiative. Every year the GLA releases the London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory to monitor the capital's progress.

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