“London still has some of the most inefficient housing in the UK” says Green MEP Jean Lambert nearly a decade after she wrote a report examining in detail how energy-inefficient London’s homes were.
Earth Day is an annual event taking place on April 22nd in support of environmental protection, you can learn more about Earth Day on their website.
London’s buildings are often expensive to heat or cool and are poorly insulated – according to the capital’s Green MEP.
In a message for Earth Day, which was marked by events across the globe yesterday, she said energy efficiency and conservation measures were key to cutting London’s greenhouse gas emissions – and lowering energy bills.
Earth Day, marked by the UN each year on April 22, this year took as its focus ‘green cities’.
The UN estimates more than half of the world’s population lives in cities – and has called for a ‘transition’ towards renewable energy generation and investment in energy efficiency in urban areas.
Ms Lambert said: “Almost a decade ago I wrote a report looking in detail at how energy-inefficient London’s homes were – and the contribution that made to high energy bills and climate change.
“Without a concerted focus on sustainability in housing by the Mayor of London, little has changed.
“London still has some of the most inefficient housing in the UK – and we’ll have to invest in insulation and energy conservation if we are going to become the sustainable, healthy city Londoners need.
“Instead, we have a Mayor and a Government who are more concerned with weakening the laws protecting Londoners from the exhaust fumes and polluted air that’s killing 4,000 Londoners early every year and allowing fracking in South and South-East London.
“But London, like all the world’s great cities, will have to evolve as energy becomes more expensive and climate change worsens.
“As well as lowering our household energy bills, public investment in energy conservation could create thousands of much-needed jobs in London’s construction sector.”