The Mayor of London outlined new pieces of guidance to help ensure a cleaner and more energy efficient future for the city that stirred mixed reactions from experts.
Sadiq Khan set out new plans on Monday aimed at making the city zero-carbon by 2030. The protocol builds on the Mayor’s strategy for Good Growth previously introduced in London Plan 2021.
Under the regulation, developers will be required to report the operational energy performance of buildings for at least five years after construction to compare “real-world” results with predictions at the design stage.
An urban greening score will be calculated for each major development on the basis of its support to the natural environment. Woodlands and intensive green roofs that provide a thriving biodiversity will likely get higher scores, but even raingardens and plants are encouraged. Yet scholars suggest the plans are insufficient.
These are “all sensible measures […] but not enough. Our historical housing stock needs rapid implementation of high-quality insulation and improved sealing of windows and doors”, said Professor Peter Childs, Chair of the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College.
The new guidance proposes new walking routes, improvements to the cycle network and far-reaching transport infrastructure.
“They are small steps towards what is needed for London to become much more environmentally and climate friendly”, said Dr Roslyn Taplin, Programme Director of the Centre for Development, Environment and Policy at SOAS.
“We also need to be dealing with the convenience of non-sustainable modes [of transport] like private cars”, commented Dr Drew Pearce, Research Associate in the Department of Physics at Imperial College.