A guide on how to create “low carbon communities” was launched this week by the London Energy Action Partnership.

The report, the Guide to Developing an Energy Action Area, explains how to select an energy action area (EAA) and the steps for establishing an energy efficient community.

EAAs are geographical areas that have been set up to showcase low carbon communities that use a range of sustainable energy technologies in different types of buildings.

There are four pilot EAAs in London : Barking town centre in Barking and Dagenham, Elephant & Castle in Southwark, the Wembley redevelopment in Brent, and Mitcham town centre in Merton.

A review of the EAAs is under way, with results expected in the summer.

Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, said: “We need the best eco-design to ensure that our buildings are energy-efficient and to cut London’s contribution to climate change.

“This guide is an excellent resource to help deliver major projects, which will forge the way forward in producing more sustainable energy.”

Postscript

The report is available at www.london.gov.uk