London boroughs’ joint work on retrofitting London’s homes to reduce carbon emissions has been praised at the MJ Awards 2022.
Enfield and Waltham Forest, the lead boroughs for the collaborative Retrofit London programme, along with London Councils were declared winners in the category of ‘leadership in responding to the climate emergency’ category.
Judges described 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 – as “genuinely ground-breaking and providing potential solutions for a much wider range of councils.”
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, Housing and Regeneration Director at Enfield Council and Co-Chair of the London Housing Directors’ Group, said:
“This award is fantastic recognition for boroughs’ joint work through the Retrofit London programme.
“London local government is determined to turn our ambitions into reality and dramatically reduce the carbon emissions attributable to London’s housing stock. We’re proud to be pioneering a new collaborative approach in the capital and excited to be taking on this momentous challenge together.
“It was great to share our experience and learning from the programme so far with colleagues through the MJ Awards. There’s a long way to go before our ambitions are met, and delivering this programme requires partnership across all levels of government. We’re absolutely committed to collaborating with councils nationally to share our approach and also learning from other projects across the country focused on this crucial agenda.”