London isn’t prepared for the growing dangers of climate change, and adaptations need to be introduced fast. That’s according to the Green Party’s Zack Polanski. The London Assembly member pressed the Deputy Mayor to do more to protect Londoners now.
He said: “Climate adaptation may not as often take centre stage compared to climate mitigation, but it’s urgent and cannot wait. Londoners need to be prepared and know who to call for help if any of these disasters happen to them.”
The scale of the problem was highlighted recently by London Fire Brigade Commissioner Andy Roe. He revealed that on July 21st last year, over four hours, the LFB received almost 2,000 calls about flash flooding. Roe said this was “the busiest call period we’ve ever had in recorded history” and a “taste of what’s to come.” There were also 4,000 grass fires in London last year. The Deputy Mayor has also admitted that the damage from climate change is more likely to affect poorer Londoners who aren’t able to pay for mitigation measures like solar panels and air conditioning.