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News from Caroline Russell: TfL finally goes green!

Caroline Russell by Chris King Photography
Created on
17 July 2020

London’s biggest energy consumer would be running on renewables within the next decade as today, after pressure from Caroline Russell AM, TfL announced they’re looking for greener energy.



Almost exactly a year ago Caroline took the Mayor to task when she uncovered that only 0.01 per cent of TfL’s energy came from renewable sources, despite a target for rail services under the Mayor’s control to be zero carbon by 2030.

At the time the Mayor admitted more needed to be done saying, "You [Caroline Russell] are right, we can do much better."

Today, Caroline Russell says:

This is major news and I’m so pleased that the Mayor and TfL are seriously upping their game and addressing the climate emergency.

I called the Mayor ‘irresponsible’ over his lack of concrete plans to get to zero carbon by 2030 after he joined me, and the Assembly, in declaring a climate emergency in December 2018. But this is a big step in the right direction.

Although the initial plan is for up to 10 per cent of TfL’s energy to come from renewable sources, that’s still much better than what I found last year. Making London’s hungriest energy consumer green is a great start.

Now let’s get the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police Service to switch to a 100 per cent green energy supply!

Notes to editors

[1] Is TfL on track for rail services under its control to be zero emission by 2030? Caroline Russell, July 2019 https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/caroline-russell/we-can-do-much-better-on-tfls-renewable-energy

[2]Table below from MQ 2019/12022. GLA functional bodies and renewables, Caroline Russell, Jun 2019

https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2019/12022

Year                         

 

TfL[1]                                                  

MPS

LFB                      

LLDC[2]                                               

2014-15

 

Total energy usage (MWh) for both electricity and gas

1,041,000

264,555

38,300

Not currently available

Total and proportion of energy usage from renewable sources (MWh)

200

(0.02%)

350

(0.13%)

2,145

(5.6%)

Not currently available

2015-16

Total energy usage (MWh) for both electricity and gas

1,103,000

243,568

34,900

2,109

Total and proportion of energy usage from renewable sources (MWh)

200

(0.02%)

399

(0.16%)

2,408

(6.9%)

352

(16.7%)

2016-17

Total energy usage (MWh) for both electricity and gas

1,547,000

251,415

38,200

2,659

Total and proportion of energy usage from renewable sources (MWh)

200

(0.01%)

385

(0.15%)

2,750

(7.2%)

323

(12.15%)

2017-18

Total energy usage (MWh) for both electricity and gas

1,533,000

230,223

38,000

2,838

Total and proportion of energy usage from renewable sources (MWh)

200

(0.01%)

339

(0.15%)

3,116

(8.2%)

371

(13.07%)

2018-19

Total energy usage (MWh) for both electricity and gas

1,558,000

211,193

38,550

Not currently available

Total and proportion of energy usage from renewable sources (MWh)

200

(0.01%)

Not currently available

2,799

(7.26%)

Not currently available

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