London's recovery starts with you

When insulating buildings, environmentally friendly, healthy and fire resistant materials should be used, for example Thermafleece treated sheep's wool insulation.

Materials that are or may be carcinogenic, for example fibreglass with certain diameters, should be avoided.

Otherwise what happened with asbestos a few decades ago will be repeated.

Care should be taken that insulation doesn't leave pipes liable to freeze and then burst.

Cement and steel production between them contribute between 16-20 % of the worlds CO2, similar to the USA  total output of CO2. What do we see on every corner of London but a new tower block made of concrete and steel.

Your mission statement is totally useless until this vast overdevelopment with large tower blocks is stopped. Many of these tower blocks are not even lived in and are basically safety deposit boxes for wealthy foreigners.

When are you going to see the light Mr Mayor and take your blinkers off. Let's have referendum on the question of these tower blocks and you would really find out what Londoners think of your current policy.

To not include new construction in your CO2 figures shows how you are simply either not aware of (or want to hide) this " Inconvenient Truth."

Agree with the goal to train and skill up the workforce for green initiatives. Not only to create jobs but to recognise the radical changes needed to address the consumerism that feeds this unsustainable economy we've created for ourselves.

Agree with those who have mentioned vehicle reduction within central London, bearing in mind access for buses and vehicles transporting disabled or less mobile people. Many of the vehicles within the congestion charge zone appear to be taxis and minicabs that are often driving around waiting / looking for a fare without any passengers. This is not public transport - this is private transport for those who can afford it and don't want to drive or take the bus, train or tube. One taxi driving around many times within the zone is emitting a lot more carbon and other noxious gases than one private car making a return journey into the zone (let's not even talk about all the idling they are doing while stuck in traffic etc.). Has there ever been a study establishing what the 'need' of private hire taxis is in central London? I'm willing to bet that supply outstrips demand under 'normal' circumstances. As another member commented, learn from other countries where there is a limit on private hire car licences (e.g. Singapore, Greece). Private car hire is not a sustainable job market.

Government and Mayor of London need to reassure people it is as safe as it's going to get to travel on public transport (for the majority). Unless shielding or vulnerable, discourage car use in London. In my most radical moments, I believe cars registered outside London should be banned from entering London borough streets (trade / commercial vehicles can register to enter and pay ULEZ etc if entering those areas). This would be easy to do with existing ANPR technology. You may have to deal with some potential fraud. Other cities have park & ride schemes. We already have an extensive transport network; let's not forget that.

I would like to focus on two aspects.

First,  in the 1980's and 90's and maybe 2000's,  we had "General Improvement Areas" (GIA's) where whole areas of London, eg big areas of New Cross in Lewisham, and of Peckham in Southwark, were considered in a wholistic way. Funding was provided -I am not sure who by.  Each owner (private and public sector) in every street could participate. New roofs, loft insulation, new bathrooms, windows and new front walls and gates,  maybe a lot more,  were subsidised, and were done on a street by street basis, so that the whole area was uplifted in terms of the quality of the buildings, and indeed the streetscape.

Surely this approach could be adopted now to cover insulation, heating systems (these would likely be heat pumps perhaps)  and solar panels?

Secondly, we need to green the streets that have no trees, with suitable street trees.  This is easier said than done, due to presence of underground Cable TV , BT, Gas , electric, etc  services that are in the very places (kerbside) where street trees are planted.

With electric charging coming to the streets, we need in my opinion to have a combined funded programme of greening the streets and adding the charging points.  Without careful planning, yet more cabling in the kerbside areas will stymie the scope for tree planting. Every street would need to be looked at in turn, under a 5 year roll-out.

I would ask that the GLA look at this with every London Borough and Government.   (I have experience in street tree planting in my past career with 3 London Boroughs)

Thanks for the opportunity to contribute to the debate !

We need a new green deal to decarbonise the economy.

1) encourage people and companies to reduce, reuse recycle

2) develop recycling facilities in the UK! Most of recycling is sent abroad and not recycled

3) we don't need more cars (electric or otherwise) in the city and the boroughs, but better and safer public transport and cycling/pedestrian routes. People still rely on cars, because cycling is not safe for a family

4) incentivize local businesses to become more sustainable, eg minimise packaging and food waste

5) support green gas and renewable energy initiatives

6) support building retrofitting

7) campaign about reducing littering and household pollution. Organize public litter picking initiatives. Increase fines and enforce

I think London should be learning from other cities, and copying the great green initiatives from around the World! The list is long, so I’m going to write in bullets:

- offer electric scooters to rent (like in Poland)

-bring back electric cars rental (like BlueCity)

-offer credit for public transport for recycling plastic (like Rome and Istanbul)

- offer free water across the city (still and sparkling (!) like in Paris) to reduce the production of plastic

- make garden/flower/vegetable beds compulsory in each council flat (like in Vienna)

-introduce ‘cool biz’ in the offices during warmer months to reduce the use of air conditioning across the city (like in Japan)

- turn waste into energy (like in Sweden)

- invest in solar power

- encourage creation of insulation bricks called fabBRICK from recycled clothing (like in Paris)

- rejecting the third runway in Heathrow was a brilliant decision! Instead London should encourage growth of the smaller airports nearby like Birmingham. 

London has the best public transport in the UK (I won't say "world class" because that over-used phrase seems mean "world class failure"). However it has been hit hard by coronavirus and is running at a huge loss. It's no good to say people should leave their cars and catch the tube. Londoners have been buying cars in droves to escape the perceived infection risk on the tubes. Plus the boom in online shopping means low footfall on the high streets and many more vans on the roads. It is not like it was in lockdown. So shutting roads in the present phase of restarting the economy will lead to stinking gridlock, and angry and stubborn drivers, who will no doubt rage against cyclists, pedestrians and politicians. We need a coronavirus recovery plan as well as a green new deal. The shift to electric vehicles must be speeded up with incentives as well as penalties. Recent research shows that good ventilation may be the key to preventing indoor spread of Covid-19 Aerosol transmission has turned out to be just as or more important than droplets (masks, social distance) and surfaces (wash hands). Hence the outbreaks in factories and other crowded indoor spaces. Certainly, ventilation could be done better on the deep tube trains - and that would create employment. Good ventilation of houses work spaces and schools should also be a priority besides insulation - and this would also create jobs. 

Every local authority should provide a brief introduction to the recycling scheme within their Borough. When people move there it should be mandatory to familiarise oneself with it. Flytipping should be noticeably persecuted everywhere. Citizens should be educated about recycling bulky and household items. Living green should be taught in every school and every new citizen should have access to information about it. 

Hammersmith Bridge

YThe recent protest (https://lnkd.in/dcAWgYK) tells you it's time to act.

A cycle/ walking bridge won’t do because it will discriminate against all the people who are most disadvantaged, such as the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, bus passengers, mums with small children, etc, who need to use motorised transport to cross the river.

The solution is a temporary road bridge, upstream.

Before the last election, Greg Hands and Grand Shapps promised the government would do its bit (https://lnkd.in/dNYEyj4). That means spending some money. £7m for a temporary bridge is a small sum.

The best way to fund the repair of the Bridge is to cancel CS9 and CS10, unnecessary bike tracks, which will add to congestion in West London. If the money were diverted to fixing the Bridge, it would be politically popular… Hello!

Even if budget were a problem (hard to comprehend in the current climate of Covid cash-splashing), the temporary bridge is just 5% of the slated repair cost and a cheap toll would enable it to pay for itself.

The solution is clear and the majority of voters in West London, reading this would expect you to make it happen, without delay.

I am beyond upset by what you are doing in the name of promoting walking and cycling.

And if anything has been the worst feature of the Covid crisis, it is how angry I have become at TfL and the Mayor and London boroughs congesting our streets on this mantra.

YOU DO NOT NEED A DEDICATED CYCLE LANE TO RIDE A BIKE IN LONDON.

THE NEW TEMPORARY BIKE LANES AND PAVEMENT SPACES ARE EMPTY WHIST THE TRAFFIC IS AGAIN BECOMING GRIDLOCKED. AND THESE TEMPORARY MEASURES ARE ADDING TO THE BOTTLENECKS.

ANYONE CAN SEE WITH THEIR OWN EYES HOW APPALLING THIS POLICY IS AND HOW DISGUSTINGLY INCOMPETENT YOU ARE. YOUR JOB SHOULD BE TO MAKE THE TRAFFIC FLOW BUT YOU ARE BLOCKING IT UP - SHAME ON YOU!

LOOK AT THESE CLIPS TO SEE HOW SHOCKING THE SITUATION IS AND HOW IT IS YOUR DISINGENUOUS POLICIES WHICH ARE CREATING UNNECESSARY JAMS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFPThTMp4dA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAcJRjP4X90

YOU GO ON AND ON ABOUT POLLUTION BUT IT IS TFL POLICY WHICH IS THE CAUSE!!!!!

GRIDLOCK IS NOT GREEN BUT YOU ARE CREATING IT. YOU ARE TO BLAME NOT THE VEHICLES ON THE ROADS AND THE PROOF OF THAT IS THAT VEHICLE USE IS FALLING YET AVERAGE SPEEDS ARE GETTING SLOWER AND SLOWER. If vehicle use were falling and everything else didn't change average speeds would increase.

THERE IS REAL HARDSHIP CREATED BY THE FIASCO OF THE CLOSURE OF HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE YET YOU ARE DOING NOTHING TO FIX IT. INSTEAD, YOU ARE GOING AHEAD WITH CS9, CS10 AND OTHER ROAD CONGESTING INITIATIVES, WASTING OUR MONEY, JAMMING UP OUR STREETS AND LYING ABOUT HOW GREAT THE OUTCOMES ARE WHEN THEY ARE NOT.

YOU SHOULD CANCEL CS9 AND CS10 AND INSTEAD USE THE MONEY TO FIX HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE.

The lockdown made Londoners appreciate clean air and we would like to keep that clean air. It also encouraged Londoners- and the very youngest of them- to venture out on bicycles.It has been lovely to see parents on bikes followed by tiny children on bikes in central London streets Let's keep that outcome. We have an amazing public transport infrastructure- there is no need to have private cars in London. We do not need their fumes and pollution and we do not need them taking up a huge part of the road even when they are parked. Councils should not be subsidising car parking. Without the car parking there is room for green space - or room for cafes to have tables outside.

Only a small proportion of workers will be returning full time to the office in London but that is another opportunity. Redundant office space may be used for universities who need more room for lecture rooms, for studio space, exhibition space, cinemas and of course housing in suitable buildings.

A significant source of air pollution in London is transport. Much of this transport is generated as a result of housing within inner London boroughs being too expensive for the majority of Londoners to afford, and who are therefore required to travel long distances to work. Changes to work patterns, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with those able working from home (which of course is not everyone) rather than wasting time and energy (in the widest sense) travelling to distant offices offer many opportunities.  Just a couple are: the direct reduction in pollution from reduced journeys, and redundant office spacesbeing re-purposed as residential accommodation. The latter suggestion increases housing stock (and so could reduce purchase and rental costs), provides opportunities for good environmental quality retrofitting of the properties,  reduces travel distances to places of work and rather than central city businesses relying on commuters local residents are their new customers. System changes are what are required for true environmental sustainability. 

How about a ban on all diesel only transport in London. 

No Diesel only Cars, Taxis, Buses, Trains, Vans or Lorries. They are the biggest problem and this would have an immediate effect on pollution. 

Infrastructure for electric, hydrogen technologies and investment in the greenest technology. emitting water is the cleanest unfortunately electric vehicles require batteries and charge. those 2 things arent green to produce in the first place, plus batteries have a limited lifespan which is less than the life of the vehicle, but buying their replacements tend to cost more than the vehicle is worth! 

all the time we use any kind of fuels that arent self generating (Wind, wave, solar) we can never be zero carbon as we all use a fuel whether that be to cook, heat water or our homes, or get around. 

We need to look at what we need for everyone and how best to achieve that without creating areas that would only be accessible to able bodied as cars etc were banned from those places age or disability MUST be considered. 

I would welcome a substantial increase on all duties on the "chelsea tractors" why do some people need a big 4x4 to take 1 ot 2 infants to school, why not a regular car, unless there is a need for wheelchair adaptation or pushchairs, but for those you would only need a larger vehicle or boot. i can think of anywhere in London where you would need to offroad on the school run. 

We have evolved to a society where we no longer fold prams. folding them down on trains and buses etc would allow space for more people yes mothers need to carry a lot and i sympathise but why are they now seemingly allergic to folding down a pram or using a smaller one? If they are ever asked most react as if you'd ask them to throw the baby off the top deck whilst its moving.

The only chance to averting climate catastrophe - which has already started with floods in the UK, wildfires in the USA and Australia, monsoons in Bangladesh etc- is a green new deal. However, it will only work with degrowth. The latest research shows clearly that to  grow out economy - even as a green economy - will lead to even worse carbon emissions, once you include the countries we import from.

There's a superb opportunity for London to show the way. Degrowth means lots of new jobs, but instead of jobs to make new stuff (most of which isn't really essential), it means green jobs for insulating homes, increasing biodiversity in green and new wild spaces, urban co-operative food growth. A healthy economy but moving away from a consumerist one.

What I love about this proposal is that it implies such a move towards degrowth, but it doesn't explicitly say so. It's important not to go  down the route of building new electricified systems, as that still leads down the path of resource extraction which is unsustabainable, leading to biodiversity collapse, unsustainable carbon emissions, plastic pollution, etc.

So yes to a green new deal which supports an adaptation, away from unnecessary economic growth.

And as I've asked in a previous comment, please move your deadlines forwards. Latest research shows we need to act faster.

Due to Covid19, the safest mode of transport is the private motor car, and therefore , it is my view that at whilst the pandemic is with us, every effort should be made to facilitate car use and not, as seems to be the case, curtail it's use.

Perhaps, when a vaccine is found and the pandemic is behind us, we can resume discussions regarding congestion and environmental issues.

I felt compelled to join in because I support your aims and I strongly support moving away from our dependence on cars and some people here don't seem to get it.  If the cars weren't on the roads there would be no problem with access by public transport for the elderly and disabled, or indeed by bike or electric vehicles for the same.  I would be categorized as "old", I have a car, so I do pay road taxes, but I leave it parked and get about by bike or public transport.  There really is no need, nor sense, for car ownership in London