Mayor announces 10 flagship 'low carbon' zones

The mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced plans for 10 flagship ‘low carbon’ zones across London.

Over three quarters of London’s carbon emissions are produced by homes, public and commercial buildings. The scheme will therefore suggest greener solutions for households and businesses to cut energy usage and energy bills.

This will involve a range of services and technologies including home insulation, buildings retrofitted with energy efficient devices, locally generated renewable energy schemes, plus energy and carbon assessments to work out existing carbon footprints and how best to reduce them.

Six new zones will join four existing pilot projects in Barking, Wembley, Elephant and Castle and Mitcham, details of which will be announced in September.

Johnson said: "Today I have committed to deliver ten flagship 'green energy' zones across London which will provide locally produced, less polluting and less wasteful energy to fuel households and businesses in these areas.

"This will be achieved by working hand in hand with organisations such as the Energy Saving Trust, British Gas and EDF Energy.

"Together we will be able to cut energy bills for these communities showing others what can be achieved, and help the capital meet a target of a 60% cut in carbon emissions by 2025.”

Work on the new zones is expected to start in early 2009.

Tony Day, professor of Energy Engineering at London South Bank University, told Building: "I think the mayor’s launch of LCZs is to be very welcome.

"It builds on the previous administration’s Energy Action Areas, so more than doubling of these types of projects is to be applauded.

"I heard him speak yesterday, and he sounded very committed to keeping London at the forefront of climate change initiatives. We hope that the identification and monitoring of LCZs will be via the London Energy Partnership, as EAAs were/are.

"Not sure if the name change is purely political or will prove to be substantive."