Boroughs’ retrofit programme wins another award for climate leadership

London boroughs’ ambitious joint work on retrofitting London’s homes to make them greener and warmer has won a UK Housing Award.

Enfield and Waltham Forest, the lead boroughs for the collaborative Retrofit London programme, along with London Councils, were declared winners in the category of ‘Climate Change Project of the Year’ at the UK Housing Awards 2022.

Judges said Retrofit London – which has seen the 33 local authorities in the capital agree a pan-London plan for improving energy efficiency and radically reducing emissions – is “outstanding in terms of its vision, scale and ambition. It’s fantastic to see the collaborative approach, and wonderful that this project is potentially replicable.”

Carbon emissions from buildings represent around a third of the capital’s total. By working together to upgrade housing stock, boroughs are determined to drive a dramatic decarbonisation of property, with additional benefits in reducing fuel poverty and boosting green industries.

Joanne Drew, Acting Executive Director of Place at Enfield Council and Co-Chair of the London Housing Directors’ Group, said:

“This award is the latest recognition of boroughs’ excellent joint work through the Retrofit London programme.

“London local government is determined to help make people’s homes more energy efficient and to reduce carbon emissions. We’re proud to be taking a large-scale, collective approach in the capital and excited to be tackling this momentous challenge together.

“The UK Housing Award raises the profile of this nationally important area of work. We know there is a long way to go before our collective ambitions are met, and that it will require partnership across all levels of government, so we look forward to collaborating with colleagues across the country to deliver on this vital agenda.”

Retrofit London is one of London Councils’ seven climate change programmes. Following boroughs’ Joint Statement on Climate Change, the programmes were established to support cross-borough work on tackling key climate change issues facing the capital. More information can be found here.

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