Mayor launches ambitious scheme for businesses to cut carbon footprint

First employers – including Shakespeare’s Globe – sign up to pilot in Bankside in Southwark

Programme aims for green jobs boost

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched an ambitious new programme to help businesses tackle the climate emergency and achieve London’s target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

 

The Business Climate Challenge calls on London businesses to cut energy usage across all their buildings – and provides a range of support to help them achieve this. 

 

The pilot has been launched in Southwark and businesses which sign up will agree a target of reducing their buildings’ energy consumption by 10 per cent within the first year and a roadmap to bring their emissions down to net zero.

 

London’s businesses have a crucial role to play in addressing the climate emergency and driving a green recovery from the pandemic. Emissions from heating and powering commercial and industrial buildings accounts for 36 per cent of London’s carbon footprint.

Retrofitting buildings and improving the energy efficiency of workplaces will play a crucial role in reducing emissions and creating green jobs. The scheme will help businesses reduce costs, improve the energy efficiency and help make their buildings suitable for staff to return after the pandemic.

The Challenge has been developed with free support from Bloomberg Associates and piloted with businesses which are part of Better Bankside business improvement district (BID).

  

In this year-long pilot, up to 20 businesses will receive tailored advice from professional services consultants Turner & Townsend to decarbonise their buildings and reduce their energy consumption.

The free technical support will include a buildings audit and a personalised roadmap to bring their carbon emissions down to net zero. If successful, the aim is to expand the scheme across London.

The first businesses to sign up are:

 

• Shakespeare’s Globe (the world-renowned theatre, education centre and cultural landmark) 
• London Marathon Events (the world-leading mass participation events organiser responsible for the London Marathon, RideLondon and many others)  
• Fagerhult Lighting (a leading lighting company manufacturing energy-efficient systems) 
• BE.Spoke (an award-winning flexible workspace provider)   
• Kubrick Group (which provides organisations with AI and cloud software) 

  

To help more businesses achieve their climate goals and to build back a greener London the Mayor has also launched sector specific guidance on the London Business Hub. From tackling emissions from buildings and the supply chain, to considering the climate impacts of investments, it provides a checklist for helping businesses develop climate action plans and signposts them to expert guidance.

This scheme builds on the Mayor’s successful Retrofit Accelerator programmes – which support energy efficiency in public sector buildings and homes – as well as best practice from other leading global cities including New York, Sydney and Paris.

Launched in 2008, New York’s Carbon Reduction Challenge has helped business cut carbon emissions by more than half a million tonnes and saved nearly $200 million in energy costs each year.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m committed to a green recovery from the Covid-19 crisis and am doing everything I can to give Londoners the tools and support they need to help the capital emerge as a cleaner, greener place to live and work. 

 

“This exciting new initiative encourages businesses of all sectors to look at how they can cut emissions from their buildings and gives them the support and advice they need to put their plans into action. 

 

“As the UK prepares to host the COP26 climate summit, businesses can make a massive contribution to our green recovery and in our wider efforts to tackle the climate emergency. I’m looking forward to seeing how our city’s dynamic and innovative businesses take on this challenge.” 

Principal at Bloomberg Associates, Adam Freed, said: “Public-private partnerships are critical to achieving ambitious climate goals, because no sector can solve our climate crisis on its own. The Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge is a powerful platform to accelerate London’s transition to a low carbon economy and support strong and green recovery for local businesses and the city.

 

“The Mayor is demonstrating the importance of the existing London building stock in meeting its climate goals. Viewing buildings as long-term assets where smart investments can drive financial savings positions London as a leader in building back better.” 

Chief Executive of Better Bankside, Nicole Gordon, said: “We are committed to building a pathway to a zero carbon Bankside, so we’re delighted to have been selected by the Mayor of London as the partner to the Business Climate Challenge.

“It’s critical we seize this moment in time to provide leadership to Bankside businesses who are eager to reduce their carbon emissions, and also offer opportunities for businesses to make short and long-term cost savings in a post pandemic landscape.”

Chief Executive of Shakespeare's Globe, Neil Constable, said: "We are delighted to partner with the Mayor of London for the Business Climate Challenge. The Globe is committed to playing an important part in contributing to London reaching the target of becoming a zero-carbon city by 2030.

“In April, we are hosting an online symposium, 'Globe 4 Globe: Shakespeare and Climate', exploring the relationship between Shakespeare's works and the climate crisis. This is one of many future events at the Globe to help battle the ecological crisis we all face.”

ENDS