Ambitious environmental building target for London

London has joined 18 other worldwide cities in a commitment to ensure that all new buildings will operate at net zero carbon by 2030. Existing buildings will also be targeted under the plans with new building regulations and planning policy to make them net zero by 2050.

Net zero carbon means that a building can meet all of its energy demands using renewables only and is built to have significantly reduced energy emissions. It is thought that on average urban buildings account for around one-half of a city’s typical emissions and in London this figure rises to 70%.

The signatories promise to establish a roadmap for a commitment to net zero buildings, develop a suite of incentives and programmes to support it, report annually on progress and evaluate the possibility of reporting on other emissions types such as refrigerants.

As part of the commitment cities such as London (where the local authority does not control building work) will agree to work with the private sector to drive the transformation.

The Commissioner for the London Sustainable Development Commission, Julie Hirigoyen has stated that the commitment from some of the most powerful cities across the globe is a strong indicator that city regions can work toward change even in the absence of government leadership. She points out that long-term change is crucial in order to reach the targets set out under the Climate Change Act 2008

19 cities have signed up to the pledge including Copenhagen, New York City, San Francisco, Sydney and Tokyo. The signing comes ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit which is due to take place in San Francisco in September.