Response to Net Zero Strategy – Centre for London

Responding to the government’s Net Zero Strategy, Rob Whitehead, Director of Strategic Projects at Centre for London said:

“Transport and heating are both major causes of the climate crisis and produce around half of London’s carbon emissions, but the government’s commitments do not go far enough to support greener heating and transport.

“Almost one-fifth of the UK’s homes are in London and more funding is needed to help transition away from gas heating, not only for heat pumps but also for the insulation and radiator upgrades that are needed to make them work. London’s unique mix of housing stock, tenure and incomes also need specific policies to make this switch at scale, including more local control.

“The guarantee that sales of new petrol and diesel car sales will end in 2030 will help to cut future carbon emissions, as is further funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. However we are unlikely to meet our net zero commitments without investing in a significant shift to journeys by public transport, walking and cycling, and other sustainable options like e-bikes and e-scooters.

“The government needs to continue to raise its ambitions on reaching net-zero, much like London, which is leading the way with a 2030 target, and bring bold ideas to the table, from road pricing to legalising micromobility vehicles.”