Climate change could cost London up to £15 billion annually by 2050
A new report from Central London Forward (CLF)has warned that the effects of climate change could cost London up to £15 billion annually by 2050 without “drastic action” from “all levels of government,” including heatwaves becoming more severe and frequent, as well as floods, and droughts over the coming decades. These would have impacts on the health as well as finances of Londoners.
CLF is a partnership of the 12 most central local authorities in London. It has called on the Greater London Authority (GLA) to take steps such as creating more green spaces and reducing the impact of flooding.
“We are working closely with boroughs, health services, TfL, emergency services and community organisations to plan how to mitigate the effects of climate change” City Hall said.
London has faced record temperatures recently, thanks in part to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which results in the capital feeling 10 degrees warmer than it is as a result of the density of buildings trapping heat. Research suggests that creating more green spaces to combat this can be challenging for local authorities that are struggling financially, particularly without a statutory requirement to do so.
The report from CLF also calls on social housing to be retrofitted to combat the heat, adding that more needs to be done with the capital’s drainage solutions. This includes permeable paving, allowing rainfall to soak into the ground and prevent the risk of flooding.
“It is vital that we make central London more climate resilient,” Charlie Rainsford, assistant director of policy and external affairs at CLF. “However, the responsibility for action currently falls on local authorities, without any sustainable funding or a common framework. We are calling for long-term, consistent and devolved funding for adaptation projects and embedding adaptation in planning policy.”
The Mayor of London recently launched Heat Ready London in a bid to bring together partners to “help our city adapt to rising temperatures, protect vulnerable Londoners, strengthen critical infrastructure and ensure our communities remain resilient in the decades ahead,” according to a spokesperson for City Hall.
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