The Mayor has been urged by the London Assembly to develop a new London risks-based strategic approach to climate change adaptation.

The Assembly last week agreed a motion which was intended to pressure the Mayor in the lead up to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

Stephen Knight AM, who seconded the amendment to the motion commented:

"Collectively we have had our eye off the ball for climate change and this is an issue so pressing and so important to the future of humanity that we cannot afford a lost decade. We are very close to essentially having lost a decade in our fight against carbon emissions and our fight against global warming.”

“It is essential that a city like London gives leadership on this issue in the run up to the Paris summit. Europe as a whole has been better than many other parts of the world in coming forward with plans.”

Darren Johnson AM, who proposed an amendment to the motion added:

“This is an urgent call ahead of the Paris Climate Change summit. This Mayor of London and the next Mayor need to show real leadership. We need drastic reduction in the capital’s carbon emissions, as well as comprehensive programmes to make London resilient to the growing risks of floods and heatwaves.”

Commenting on the Motion, the Assembly said it noted that London is particularly exposed to the effects of climate change and is already more vulnerable to heat than surrounding areas, due to the Urban Heat Island effect. In addition,  a significant proportion of London’s critical infrastructure is already at risk of flooding and/or overheating and the capital is already in an area of Serious Water Stress. The Assembly said:

“Despite these challenges, the Mayor’s two terms of office have been characterised by drift, as environmental concerns have been relegated to the deep recesses of the City Hall policy agenda.”

Amongst the initiatives the Assembly wants the Mayor to prioritise is the development of a new London risks-based strategic approach to climate adaptation when the Mayor next issues or revises the Environment Strategy. It is calling for the new approach to be in line with the recommendations in two reports by the London Assembly - Come Rain or Shine: London’s Adaptation to the Risks of Severe Weather and Weathering the Storm: The Impact of Climate Change on London’s Economy.

It also says that the Environment Strategy  should be based on the Thames Estuary 2100 ‘decisions pathway’ approach, identifying the ‘adaptation gap’ between the assessed risks and current resilience, and should formulate options for adaptation."