Climate Emergency Action Plan launched
In 2019 Lewisham Council was one of the first local authorities to declare a climate emergency, and since then, we’ve made some great progress towards our ambition for Lewisham to be net zero carbon by 2030.
Despite the positive progress, the scale of the climate crisis remains a pressing challenge.
Our changing climate is now not a distant future threat and we can clearly see it impacting where we live. 2022 was the first time that two Red Warnings (for life-threatening weather) were issued in a single year for London, with Storm Eunice in February and then an extended heatwave in July with temperatures above 40°C.
That's why we've launched Lewisham’s Climate Emergency Action Plan 2024, a refresh of our strategic plan for action that reflects the scale and urgency of meeting the ambition for Lewisham to be net zero carbon by 2030.
Our plan covers five key areas:
- leading by example – Putting climate action at the heart of the Council’s work and into practice by decarbonising our Council buildings, schools and our fleet.
- sustainable housing – Working towards decarbonising our Council housing stock, giving practical help to residents struggling to heat their homes, improving the quality of privately rented housing, securing investment in low carbon energy infrastructure.
- decarbonised transport – Reducing the need for car travel by improving active, public and electric transport networks and infrastructure in our local area.
- greener, adaptive Lewisham – Improving Lewisham’s local environment reducing flood risks and making the borough a greener more resilient place to live.
- inspiring, learning and lobbying – Playing a central role in the climate movement locally and beyond, and supporting Lewisham’s young people, businesses and community groups to take meaningful action.
We know that decarbonising the borough is a hugely challenging ambition, and achieving net zero requires long-term investment, and a willingness to do things differently. But reducing our environmental impact does not have to mean giving things up.
Instead, taking action has the potential to enrich our lives - giving us cleaner air, warmer homes and healthier lifestyles, creating new opportunities for jobs, and making Lewisham a more equitable place to live and visit.
Councillor Louise Krupski, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Action said:
"This plan covers how to protect our communities now and into the future, by anticipating and responding to changing climate impacts like heatwaves, flooding, storms, as well as how it will impact cost-of-living for residents.
"Sustained action to decarbonise Lewisham and improve our environment will create a more resilient, prosperous, and vibrant borough.
"There is a deep unfairness that the most vulnerable communities locally and globally will suffer the most despite contributing the least. Ensuring a fair transition to a decarbonised society is fundamental to why Lewisham Council has prioritised action on the climate emergency."