‘Retrofit revolution’ to tackle climate emergency in London

Sadiq Khan has declared a ‘retrofit revolution’ in London, announcing a new package of measures that will make buildings more energy efficient and tackle the climate emergency.

Led by the Mayor of London and London Councils, the ambitious new plans will boost London’s Green New Deal mission and sustain and create new green jobs in the capital.

London has the third highest level of fuel poverty in the country, with Barking and Dagenham having the highest of any local authority in England.

London’s homes and workplaces are responsible for 78 per cent of the capital’s carbon emissions, with City Hall acknowledging that virtually all will need some level of retrofitting over this decade. The capital’s social housing urgently needs upgrading to be as energy efficient as possible.

The new Innovation Partnership will make it easier for social landlords and UK building firms to work together to upgrade ageing homes in the capital. The scheme will link up housing providers and builders through all stages of home retrofitting, from planning through to large-scale delivery. This will dramatically increase the pace of projects that upgrade cold, damp housing stock to homes fit for the future.

The partnership has the potential value of £10 billion in retrofit works, which would create around 150,000 jobs over the decade. The Innovation Partnership is open to social housing providers across the UK, with at least £5 billion estimated that could be spent in London.

The Mayor has also been given the go ahead to create a national retrofit centre of excellence to help assist social housing providers gain access to funding for major retrofit projects. The centre will build on Khan’s successful Retrofit Accelerator – Homes which aims to transform the way London retrofits its ageing and energy-inefficient housing to create warm, affordable and ultra-low carbon homes. It will also directly help social housing providers develop plans to improve their chances of being successful through the next round of the £160m Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Seeking to reach net zero by 2030, Sadiq Khan is also seizing the opportunity for more solar energy on London’s rooftops. The mayor’s energy programmes alone are expected to more than double the amount of clean energy London generates from solar, but more investment is needed to ensure the capital goes much further.

Khan said: “Creating jobs and tackling the climate emergency are two of my priorities for London and that’s why I am delighted London is leading the way on a retrofit revolution. With the COP26 summit taking place later this year, it’s vital that we show how London is leading the way with our Green New Deal.

“A strong economic recovery from Covid-19 and a green recovery are not mutually exclusive. This transformative approach to retrofit will directly help those living in ageing, energy-inefficient homes, and could play a vital role cutting energy bills and tackling fuel poverty. It will also support Londoners with the skills they need for jobs in the green economy, rebuilding our city post-Covid so that it’s cleaner, greener and fairer.”