Climate Change

What is climate change?

Climate change, also known as global warming or the enhanced greenhouse effect, is caused by the rise in average global temperature due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere.

Though climate modelling is complex and our understanding is still developing, there is now near complete scientific consensus that the climate is changing, and will continue to change at increasing rates, if no action is taken to reduce carbon emissions.

The evidence suggests that this change - the increase in temperature - is strongly linked to increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere - and that this increase is related to human activity.

Activities on climate change and the environment

The London Development Agency (LDA) has en existing programme of activity on climate change including London Climate Change Agency (LCCA), Enhance, Business Link, zero carbon developments and others.

Following the launch of The Mayor's Climate Change Action Plan in February 2007 the LDA will also be leading a range of new activity to address this priority focus area.

Overview of Climate Change Action Plan

The purpose of the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) document is to set out the priority actions that the Mayor of London will be focusing on with regard to mitigating climate change in London.

The plan reflects the latest evidence from Stern Review, The Tyndall Centre and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and includes detail on London's current emissions.

An ambitious target of a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025 is established responding to this evidence - which is considerably more ambitious than the UK Government target of 60% by 2050.

The LDA will be implementing the Green Homes and Green Organisations programmes under the CCAP.

Green homes

• Building on the existing prototype project, a concierge service will be implemented to support provide bespoke energy audits and project management of installation of energy efficiency improvements, for the able-to-pay sector.
• Working in partnership with other agencies, such as the Energy Savings Trust, we will scale up our work to deliver a comprehensive one-stop-shop energy advice service to Londoners
• Through a partnership with a major utilities company a London wide scheme will be implemented to provide subsidies to home owners and occupiers to install insulation in their homes.
• We will also be working to ensure that we have enough skilled people in the capital to support the growth and implementation of environmental technologies.
• The LDA will be helping to ensure the Green Homes programme is embedded in the Mayor's new Housing Strategy.

Green organisations

• Better Buildings Partnership
  Building on the existing efforts of the LCCA, the LDA will work with commercial land lords to identify and implement improvements in commercial buildings.
• Green Organisations Badging Scheme
  Development of scheme to encourage improvement in commercial buildings through a voluntary badging scheme ahead of the EU directive.