The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced a host of green plans for London today, including planting millions of trees across the city and pledging £4 million to a London Green Fund.
To avoid urban heat island effect – where buildings absorb heat and increase temperatures in cities – two million trees will be planted by 2050.
The plan is one of a number of eco-schemes outlined in the report 'Leading to a Greener London', published by the Mayor detailing his environment and climate change priorities for London.
Johnson pledged £4 million to a new London Green Fund and aims to invest many millions more to reach ambitious carbon emissions targets.
The fund will be boosted by an “innovative financing framework", which it is hoped will be provided by investment from the European Union, climate charities and the private sector. The money will be used to cut carbon emissions and encourage the use of new waste energy initiatives.
As reported this week on ClickGreen, 100 London buildings such as Wembley police station are being updated with energy-saving measures and it is believed public sector organisations in the City will use the new fund to receive similar benefits.
Johnson said: "To tackle energy inefficiency and cut carbon, we need to make London's buildings and energy supply greener. We want to provide an easy way to tackle the maze of complex red tape that currently acts as a deterrent, as well as provide the upfront funds needed to take action. An innovative eco-fund will help London become energy efficient in a simplified way.
"This will help to boost a low-carbon economy in London, creating thousands of green collar jobs, and fits with my overall goal to deliver genuine changes through high-impact, value-for-money initiatives."
The report describes a new recycling scheme, RecycleBank, which includes putting microchips in recycle bins. The bins would be weighed and residents would be given vouchers for local stores for up to £168 a year as a reward for recycling waste.
RecycleBank is already being piloted in Maidstone and Windsor, and Johnson hopes to extend the scheme city-wide if it is successful.
The Mayor's environment adviser Isabel Dedring said: "Where people don't really make the connection is that the more they recycle, the more their council tax can go down as the council has to pay for landfill but can actually make money recycling.
"The Mayor is absolutely behind this. The only problem is some councils don't have wheelie bins, which means the weighing systems don't work."
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