Mayor launches new £12m Green Roots Fund to boost capital’s green and blue spaces

• Mayor launches new fund at the start of London Climate Action Week - the largest city-wide climate event in Europe
• London will stage more than 700 events across the week to accelerate global climate action, showcasing how London is a global climate leader
• More than 45,000 people to come to London to take part in events
• Sadiq urges community groups, boroughs and stakeholders to apply for up to £500,000 - to green neighbourhoods, rewild communities and clean local rivers

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is starting London Climate Action Week with the launch of a new Green Roots Fund, which will invest more than £12 million to make neighbourhoods across the capital greener, healthier and more climate resilient.

The new fund, which sees Sadiq deliver on his 2024 Election Manifesto pledge, will support the creation and improvement of London’s green and blue spaces, such as parks, community gardens, wetlands and rivers. This includes projects that will restore habitats for nature to thrive and could reintroduce lost species.

Research shows that those from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities are more than twice as likely to live in an area deprived of green space [1], while more than one in five households in London have no access to a garden. [2] The new fund will tackle this social injustice, empowering communities with the opportunity to increase their access to green and blue spaces.

The new £12 million fund will award grants ranging from £10,000 to £500,000 over the next three years to community groups, boroughs and stakeholders to pay for trees, wildflower meadows, parklets and waterway improvements.

The launch comes at the start of London Climate Action Week, which is taking place this week (21-29 June) and is the largest city-wide climate event in Europe.

Now in its seventh year, London Climate Action Week hosts more than 700 in-person and virtual events (double the number of events from last year) and attracts more than 45,000 people to the capital. It mobilises London’s unparalleled array of organisations committed to accelerating global climate action, showcasing how London is a global climate leader.

Sadiq has led the way and after he launched the world’s first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and expanded it to cover the whole capital in 2023, ULEZ is now the largest clean air zone in the world. It covers every borough of London, helping the capital’s almost ten million residents breathe cleaner air. It has been crucial to protect the health of Londoners, support children's lung growth, and reduce the risk of people developing asthma, lung cancer and a host of other health issues related to air pollution. [3]

City Hall is involved in a number of events for London Climate Action Week. This includes: 

1. A seeds giveaway, today (23 June) to encourage Londoners to create habitats and food sources to benefit nature. A total of 12,000 seed packets will be handed out by volunteers at 12 stations in areas that have less access to green space.*
2. A week of discussions at Goals House which will feature the Mayor and explore topics including sustainable cities, design and creativity and the impact of businesses on biodiversity and the loss of nature.
3. A Climate Innovation Forum in Central London that will see the Mayor discuss pioneering green initiatives with international leaders across government and business.
4. The inaugural London Climate Action Week Youth Summit at ZSL, which will bring together over 150 young changemakers to explore how young Londoners can take climate and nature action in the city

Since he took office in 2016, the Mayor has transformed London’s natural spaces, improving and creating over 900 hectares of green space - equivalent to more than 2,000 football pitches. He has restored 3.7km of river, creating habitat for wildlife to flourish.

Through his Grow Back Greener Fund, the Mayor has already awarded over £4 million to 135 community-led projects, supporting Londoners to create and improve over 30 hectares of green space (1,140 tennis courts) and plant over 25,000 trees. [4]

Since taking office in 2016, Sadiq’s initiatives have led to the planting of over 600,000 trees across London (including two new woodlands), totalling 85 hectares of tree-filled green spaces for everyone to enjoy. [5]

In addition, the Mayor has invested over £2.5 million since 2021 through his Rewild London Fund, into projects that have supported the restoration and rewilding of London’s most valuable places for nature. [6]

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to launch my new Green Roots Fund to deliver spaces across our capital that are greener, healthier and more climate resilient.

“I want to encourage all community groups to get involved in helping to transform our neighbourhoods and ensure that all Londoners can benefit from nature.

“I am thrilled to be announcing this new investment during London Climate Action Week as our capital delivers the largest city-wide climate event in Europe.

“The benefits of nature should be for everyone and I am committed to making this a reality for all Londoners, as we continue to build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban, said: “London Climate Action Week provides a platform to showcase our capital as a global climate leader.  

“It is fantastic Sadiq is delivering on his Manifesto pledge this week to launch London’s Green Roots Fund and kickstart a series of over 700 events across our capital over the coming days.

“I urge Londoners to get involved in the many in person and virtual events across the coming days as the Mayor and I work to deliver more natural spaces in our city that are accessible to all.”

London Climate Action Week Founder and Chair Nick Mabey said: “London Climate Action Week 2025 is more than double the size of last year and attracting even greater international participation.

“This shows the depth of London’s climate solutions sector whether in finance, clean tech or fashion and the enthusiasm of Londoners to be part of climate action.

“This energy across the whole of society shows how divorced the current elite political discussion on net zero is from economic and grassroots reality.”

Friends of Mostyn Garden Project / Muslim Women of Merton Co-ordinator Neaz Ahmed said: “The Mayor’s Grow Back Greener Fund enabled us to tackle social injustice and empower communities with the opportunity to increase their access to green and blue spaces.

“We worked with volunteer women from the local community to make a piece of derelict land useable and a focus for the community,  including the Tranquil Corner where we meet in peace and tranquillity. It has now attracted further funds to clear up and establish seating and paths.”

London Wildlife Trust Director of Nature Recovery, Sam Davenport, said: “We’re in the midst of an ecological emergency, and now more than ever, nature needs all of us.

“As proud partners of the Mayor’s Rewild London Fund, we’ve seen the inspiring results that come from empowering London’s communities to act for wildlife.

“This renewed commitment to nature recovery from the Mayor is a welcome next step toward a greener, wilder, and more resilient London.”

National Park City Foundation and London National Park City Chair Navdeep Deol said: “With the support of the Mayor’s team we have been able to deliver vital and timely microgrants to a number of our National Park City Ranger projects, so that they can focus on their important work to make London greener, wilder and healthier and support communities across the capital.

“The programme strengthens capacity and resilience within the voluntary sector in a way that is both equitable and scalable without the complexity of traditional funding models. The Green Roots Fund creates new opportunities to kick-start and grow new community led and grassroots action right across London.” 

Wildlife Gardeners of Haggerston Chair, Gideon Corby, said: “Receiving the Mayor of London’s Grow Back Greener and Rewild London funding allowed us to do so much work on Hackney Marshes and along the Old Lea River.

“We have worked hard to increase the chances for wildlife to thrive; removing problematic plants and reintroducing reedbeds, returning the natural complexity of flow to the river and building refugia to allow wood mice, field vole and shrew populations.

“GLA funding gave us local people the chance, and privilege, to do work we are immensely proud of and we’d do it all again!”