Retrofit: a call to action for London's businesses
The Mayor of London and London Councils join leading business organisations - the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), London First, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and New London Architecture (NLA) - calling on London’s businesses to make their buildings net zero carbon by 2030. This group wants business communities to show leadership in tackling the climate emergency.
London needs a green and fair recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic, which hit the city hard. The retrofit of London’s buildings is a top priority of the Green New Deal (GND) recovery mission. With industrial and commercial emissions making up one third of London’s emissions, businesses in the capital have a pivotal role to play. That’s why we’re calling on businesses to meet the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition by 2030. To achieve this, businesses need to develop plans for how their building or workplace will meet the standard and act to implement them as soon as is feasible.
It's all our business
The facts are clear. Without action by businesses, London will be unable to achieve its target of net zero emissions by 2030. But it’s not just about saving the climate. Taking action to reduce energy and water use will save business hard cash in the short, medium and long-term. Many London businesses are ready too, with 69 per cent telling us that they are already taking action to reduce their environmental impact.
We recognise that different businesses have different roles to play in achieving this aim. Larger businesses and asset owners should take the lead, and move more rapidly to decarbonise their building stock. We know that medium and smaller businesses will need more time and support to achieve this ambition by the 2030 deadline. This phased approach recognises the diversity of London’s businesses. It also acknowledges the huge challenges that the pandemic continues to present to businesses’ ability both to survive and thrive.
The call to action
We are calling on businesses to meet the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition by 2030.
To achieve this, businesses need to publish plans for how their building or workplace will meet the standard and act to implement them as soon as is feasible. These plans should:
- establish a building, workplace, or portfolio’s carbon scope – or carbon baseline
- clearly state how the organisation will work to reduce operational energy use to meet the highest standards of energy efficiency, increasing renewable energy supply and offsetting any remaining carbon
- publicly disclose information to demonstrate how a building, workplace or portfolio is working towards or has achieved, net zero carbon
- support other businesses to do the same, for example by supporting the organisations in your supply chain.
The UKGBC’s framework definition has guidance on actions that businesses should take. We know that many businesses have already started decarbonising their building stock. In such cases where you have reached a comparable standard we will consider you’ve met this call to action.
This work will convene pan-London stakeholders to understand the status of business retrofit and support needs, to address the lack of shared language and targets on retrofit, discuss how to accelerate and monitor progress and share information to achieve London’s net-zero target.
Support
We know businesses need support to retrofit their buildings. We are working with the UKGBC to provide clear guidance to businesses on how to work towards net-zero buildings. The Mayor has announced the scale up of his Business Climate Challenge which will offer support to even more London businesses to reduce their building energy consumption and plan for net-zero buildings. The London Recovery Board, Commercial Sector Working Group and leading built environment bodies will be working together to support London businesses and a regional approach to net-zero commercial buildings.
Read the UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings: a Framework Definition
Find out more about the Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge
Read the UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap
Find more information about verifying net zero (operational) carbon buildings
Next steps
Following the launch of this call on 22 February 2022, we will be working with businesses to drive uptake of the call to action, monitor impact and the status of retrofit in the capital, understand business support needs, and mobilise action.
Click the ‘Register your interest’ button to fill in the web form and tell us if your business wants to work with us on the ‘Call to Action’.
Background to the group
A Commercial Sector Working Group was set up following the recommendations of the London Recovery Board in September 2021. The group’s purpose is to advance retrofitting action in non-residential, commercial buildings in line with the board’s Green New Deal mission. A key aim is to provide a target for London’s businesses and incentivise them to take steps to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. This will help us to meet London’s target to be net zero by 2030.
Membership includes commercial sector representatives of the London Recovery Board and other relevant organisations with an interest in this area:
- Confederation of British Industry
- Federation of Small Businesses
- London First
- London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- London Councils
- New London Architecture (NLA)
- Greater London Authority
Need a document on this page in an accessible format?
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of a PDF or other document on this page in a more accessible format, please get in touch via our online form and tell us which format you need.
It will also help us if you tell us which assistive technology you use. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.