The ‘retrofit revolution’ comes with a package of measures to create ultra-low carbon buildings, tackle the climate emergency and create green jobs, reports Asian Lite News.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has declared a ‘retrofit revolution’ in London, announcing a new package of measures that will make buildings more energy-efficient and tackle the climate emergency.
Led by the Mayor working with London Councils and social housing providers, the ambitious new plans aims to boost London’s Green New Deal mission and sustain and create new green jobs in the capital.
According to a press release, London’s homes and workplaces are responsible for 78 per cent of the capital’s carbon emissions and virtually all will need some level of retrofitting over this decade.
The capital’s social housing urgently needs upgrading to be as energy efficient as possible with improvements including better insulation, low-carbon heat and clean power sources, such as solar energy, to deliver the Mayor’s climate targets and tackle growing fuel poverty, it said.
London has the third highest level of fuel poverty in the country, with Barking and Dagenham having the highest of any local authority in England, it added.
Mayor Khan said: “Creating jobs and tackling the climate emergency are two of my priorities for London and that’s why I am delighted London is leading the way on a retrofit revolution. With the COP26 summit taking place later this year, it’s vital that we show how London is leading the way with our Green New Deal.
“A strong economic recovery from COVID-19 and a green recovery are not mutually exclusive. This transformative approach to retrofit will directly help those living in ageing, energy-inefficient homes, and could play a vital role cutting energy bills and tackling fuel poverty. It will also support Londoners with the skills they need for jobs in the green economy, rebuilding our city post-COVID so that it’s cleaner, greener and fairer,” he added.
The Mayor’s new Innovation Partnership aims at making it easier for social landlords and UK building firms to work together to upgrade ageing homes in the capital. The scheme will link up housing providers and builders through all stages of home retrofitting, from planning through to large-scale delivery.
The partnership has the potential value of £10 billion in retrofit works, which would create around 150,000 jobs over the decade. The Innovation Partnership is open to social housing providers across the UK, with at least £5 billion estimated that could be spent in London.
The Mayor has also been backed by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for London to lead the country by creating a national retrofit centre of excellence to help assist social housing providers gain access to funding for major retrofit projects.
As a key part of the target of reaching net zero by 2030, the Mayor is taking effort for more solar energy on London’s rooftops.
To lay these foundations, the Mayor is working with Solar Energy UK to invest in the solar workforce. A new programme – Solar Skills London – will focus on skills and training to enable Londoners to learn more about solar technologies and help to create more green jobs. Training and apprenticeships will focus on battery storage, electric vehicle charging and related smart technologies.
The programme will also include a placement programme to get trainees into solar businesses and targeted grant schemes to deliver quality training to staff at a 100 solar installation companies in London.
The mayor on Wednesday visited West Acton Primary School in Ealing where a large solar PV array is being installed.
The project, which will supply clean energy to the school, was part funded through the Mayor’s London Community Energy Fund.
Around 200 schools have signed up to have solar panels and other energy efficiency work done with support and expertise from City Hall.
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