Mayor announces new retrofit revolution for London

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has declared a new ‘retrofit revolution’ to help decarbonise London’s buildings. 

London’s homes and workplaces are currently responsible for 78% of the capital’s carbon emissions, meaning they will virtually all need some level of retrofitting over the next decade.

Led by the Mayor and working with London Councils and social housing providers, the new Innovation Partnership will make it easier for social landlords and UK building firms to upgrade ageing buildings.

The scheme will link up housing providers and builders through all stages of retrofitting, from planning through to large-scale delivery.

According to the Mayor, the partnership has the potential value of £10bn in retrofit works, which could create around 150,000 jobs over a decade.

The partnership is currently open to social housing providers across the UK, with at least £5bn estimated that could be spent in London.

The Mayor has also been backed by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for London to lead the way by creating a national retrofit centre of excellence.

This will assist social housing providers to gain access to funding. The centre will also build on the Mayor’s Retrofit Accelerator, which aims to transform the way London retrofits buildings.

Sadiq Khan, said: ‘Creating jobs and tackling the climate emergency are two of my priorities for London and that’s why I am delighted London is leading the way on a retrofit revolution.

‘With the COP26 summit taking place later this year, it’s vital that we show how London is leading the way with our Green New Deal.

‘A strong economic recovery from Covid-19 and a green recovery are not mutually exclusive. This transformative approach to retrofit will directly help those living in ageing, energy-inefficient homes, and could play a vital role in cutting energy bills and tackling fuel poverty.

‘It will also support Londoners with the skills they need for jobs in the green economy, rebuilding our city post-COVID so that it’s cleaner, greener and fairer.’