With just over a month to go until the UK hosts the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, everyone has been thinking hard about how the City of London can make radical changes to improve the environmental conditions within the Square Mile. Members have already created a Climate Action Strategy which commits to:
- Achieve net zero carbon emissions from our own operations by 2027
- Achieve net zero carbon emissions across our investments and supply chain by 2040
- Support the achievement of net zero for the Square Mile by 2040
- Invest £68m over the next six years to support these goals of which £15m is dedicated to preparing the Square Mile for extreme weather events
As many of you will know, the City of London Corporation’s operations extend well beyond the reach of the City itself. It has economic offices all over the world, but in environmental terms, running the largest open spaces in London and Essex, means that the action taken will have a much wider impact for the UK.
One of the initiatives the Wax Chandlers have been working on is improvements to the City’s bee population. Last week the Lady Mayoress joined the Pollinating London Together, which combines representatives from each of the City’s livery companies to explore how Livery Halls can do more to support pollination. The City has a number of bee hives now, including on top of the Mansion House, but much more can be done. A range of green building credentials are also considered thoroughly by the City’s planning and transportation committee.
If you have good ideas to further improve the natural environment in our City, however big or small, please do let me know. This will be the great challenge of our generation and we all have a role to play in its success.
