A Green New Deal

I think a green new deal is absolutely vital for London to move forward and will enable our city to be at the forefront of society. Some of the most important aspects to me are to have everyone and everything running on sustainable, renewable and affordable energy sources, including all public transport. Improving insulation for homes and businesses would help reduce waste, save energy and increase affordability for Londoners.

Making public transport more accessible and cheaper for people to access. I would absolutely love to see some areas of the city become bus, cycle and pedestrian routes only- not only would this help decrease pollution levels but it would also make our city a safer and more attractive place for both tourists and its residents. Coupled with more affordable public transport, this could really improve the city as a whole. This could then be gradually phased further out, at least in some capacity, to the wider city. 

Green spaces are vital and it is important that these are protected and maintained, not only in the beautiful large parks but also in more community areas for the local residents to enjoy. I would also love to see a shift towards decreasing food waste with implementation of residential food waste bins. Food waste is a massive cause of environmental problems but utilising this waste for energy, as other areas of the country do, could be a useful way to tackle the problem. 

As well as all of these suggestions that would help locals, holding larger businesses to account will be really important as bigger businesses have the greatest impact on climate problems- if London wants to become a green city, they must also be a focus. 

The whole of London should be running on renewable and affordable energy, including its transport. Homes and businesses in London should be better fitted with better insulation to save energy. London should be helping its unemployed transition into green jobs that will keep them employed well into the future. 

If London is going to become a zero pollution & zero waste city then much stricter policies on emissions, waste, and resources must be put in place and enforced on the companies that operate in London. Smaller independent businesses tend to be on the better side of these policies already however large chains such as McDonalds, Waitrose, Primark, Costa, to name but a tiny fraction, have all been shown to have inefficient methods of tackling their waste. The current policies are not strict enough on the worst offenders.

Also London should be helping its unemployed transition into Green jobs that will keep them employed well into the future!

A green new deal is absolutely crucial for a sustainable future. Transport is such a key part to this, especially reducing the number of private vehicles - not just within ULEZ, but within all of London. Pedestrians, (green) public transport and cyclists should all have priority and be given the majority of space. Imagine if our streets were filled with happy, healthy people walking and cycling without having to breathe toxic pollution or fearing being run over because they're barely given any space to exist. Freeing the streets from private vehicles would also mean faster and easier access for key vehicles such as ambulances, as well as speed up public transport (busses in particular) a lot. Higher penalty fees (and easier reporting) for environmental offences such as idling need to be put in place too. Parking spaces (around green areas specifically:  Hampstead Heath is an example of an area where the air pollution around the park is constantly high because so many people arrive/idle/drive around the park in cars.) should be available to those who can't access public transport only, so driving stops being the (selfish) default choice of transportation for so many.

Create new and improve existing cycle routes/superhighways. Encourage cycle courses for beginners, improve and expand on bike registry to help combat bike theft and while also creating accountability for cyclists. Pedestrianise areas/streets at certain times of day/year. Creates more space and gives restaurants/bars space to expand into and support local economy as well as a more pleasant atmosphere.

Incorporate New Urbanism principles (more boulevards, public green spaces, private gardens) in future planning projects to help encourage walking/cycling, combat pollution and improve air quality. Utilise disused rail lines for parks and pedestrian highways such as the Pekham coal line (e.g. NYC Highline and Paris Coulée Verte René-Dumont). Plants/gardens together with/or solar panels on flat roofed buildings/structures- can incorporate into raised walking/cycle routes.

Encourage/incentivise residents with outdoor areas to grow plants and even their own seasonal food where possible. Reforest/rewild park areas for greater natural diversity with native plant species that also help combat air pollution. Helps create jobs and engage local communities. All London parks should be able to qualify for the Green Flag award.

Encourage volunteering, promote apprenticeships for green projects and create green jobs to help reboot economy. 

All public transport to be powered by renewable energy as soon as possible. Subsidise electric vehicles for residents and create more charging stations. Promote schemes like London Power more for renewable energy for residents.

Retrofit all buildings, private and public, to be more energy efficient.

Help businesses to encourage more working from home where possible to reduce impact.

All the above and more will help create jobs for economy, create a healthier and more pleasant surroundings and hopefully bring communities closer together.

I would like to see all London boroughs introduce local zero emissions delivery networks like zedwalthamforest.co.uk, ideally integrated with other courier companies / amazon etc. to provide ‘last mile’ to-door deliveries from hubs.

I believe the ULEZ should be extended to the M25 as soon as possible so that we don’t end up with two-tier air pollution standards in London within & without the North/South Circular, and for the emissions standards to be tightened year-on-year.

There has been a fair amount of attention given to improving exhaust pollution amounts in recent years, and vehicles are gradually becoming cleaner in that regard but I would like to see more funding for research on how to reduce other transport particulate emissions, especially tyre wear (and consequent road run-off into rivers), and cancerous brake pad dust.

As for new green building projects I would dearly love to see our busy wide traffic corridors, particularly those built through cuttings such as the A12 / North Circular, made into filtered tunnels similar to the short section at George Green in Wanstead, or the much more ambitious and extensive A86 in western Paris. This would provide much-needed parkland and cycling / walking routes above, vastly reducing air and noise pollution in the surrounding streets, and reconnecting areas brutally severed by roads in the 20th Century.

There is no recovery without a green recovery. Sustainability has to be at the heart of any decisions we make from here on out.

All public buildings should be generating energy, fitted with solar panels. Businesses should be incentivise/assisted to do the same.  

We need greener transport: more investment in cycle paths, to make our public transport networks run on green energy, disincentivise the use of cars in the city.

Green housing for council tenants and homeless populations. (Our green new deal must work for all londoners)

Subsidise green businesses to have a high street presence over multinational companies with appalling records on sustainability. 

Create and support jobs in climate positive industries. 

A Green New Deal is so important. We need to make it possible for people to cycle into London without literally risking their lives. The air pollution in zones 2 and 3 can be awful 

A Green New Deal is essential. London can set the example for the rest of the country to follow by implementing further emissions reducing policies, cleaner and cheaper public transport, and greener initiatives for housing builds and repairs. Britain must do more for its future generations and this can start with a Greener New Deal in London 

A green new deal is essential for London to be a city that is sustainable for the planet and the people living there. Pollution needs to be dramatically reduced for health reasons, housing need to greener and more efficient and we desperately need more green spaces. 

Public transport and cycling and walking need to be made more accessible. There needs to be a higher emphasis on wellbeing - which strongly coincides with green spaces which should be more accessible to everyone. 

As someone who lives in London, I am hugely worried about the focus on growth and economics over biodiversity, the environment and the people of London. The next generation will be in a very difficult city to live in if this Green New Deal isn't enacted. I cannot urge the need for it more strongly. 

A green new deal is paramount to the success and future of London. As more people work from home the opportunity out to improve green infrastructure and public transport is clear. This time is a unique opportunity to make huge changes with less disruption to other functions of businesses and workers. 

London urgently needs a green new deal, and to prioritise the environment in all actions taken in the city. A transition to a greener economy would benefit everyone that lives and works in the city, as well as encouraging a similar transitions in cities across the world. London should be running on renewable, affordable energy, and stopping it's dependency on fossil fuels, including transport in and around the city.

We should be encouraging the use of public transport, and carbon-free travel - in particular making it more practical, pleasant, and affordable to travel by bike or by foot. We should improve cycle lanes throughout the city, ensuring they prioritise the ease and safety of use for cyclists, not minimising the impact they have on cars! Where cars are required in the city we should encourage the use of electric cars by increasing the availability of charging points.

We should also be increase the amount of accessibile and local green spaces throughout the city, to help encourage people to get outside and to improve the biodiversity throughout the city. We should plant more trees, and encourage wildlife through schemes like green roofs and wildflower planting.

We should ensure that homes and business throughout the city, both new builds and existing buildings, are fitted with better insulation and green heating systems, to save energy - and this should be done without cost to those residents.

The key point though is that we need to prioritise the wellbeing of the people and environment of London, and stop the endless push for economic growth which is destroying our city. We need to improve our air quality, our biodiversity, the physical and mental health of our people, for all these things are far far more important than economic growth, or the wealth of big businesses and billionaires.

A new green deal is vital for London. We need an increase in safe and accessible green spaces for everyone, including toilets, affordable public transport - no charge for children is so important this has to be revoked, opportunities to green businesses and orgs to have access to funding and space, along with support for young people wanting to get into environmental occupations. Renewable energy should be running throughout London, all homes should be safely fit with appropriate insulation.