With its significant influence on the world, London has a major opportunity to be a positive force for world sustainability. London also faces particular issues in delivering high quality of life within environmental limits for those within its boundaries. To assist London organisations and individuals to respond to these global and local challenges, London Sustainability Exchange was launched in 2001 to act as a unique catalyst and capacity builder. This briefing paper outlines how London Sustainability Exchange is helping to make London the most sustainable world city.
If we can’t make London and similar world cities sustainable, then what hope do we have? Over half the world’s population now lives in towns or cities. We are rapidly transforming ourselves into an urban species. There will be no sustainable world without sustainable cities.
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, on the launch of London Sustainability Exchange
London needs an independent catalyst to help everyone to support its sustainable development—that’s why we initiated and provided development funding for London Sustainability Exchange
Patrick Roney CBE MA, Chairman, Bridge House Trust Committee
1. INTRODUCTION
As a world city, London today exerts a social, environmental and economic influence that extends far beyond its physical boundaries. There is a major opportunity for all London organisations and individuals to ensure that this disproportionate impact on world sustainability is a positive force that improves quality of life across the world and protects and builds natural and social capital internationally. London has a parochial as well as a philanthropic interest here—as a world city, its long-term success is entwined inextricably with that of the whole of the world. Those are the markets that it serves and the communities from which its people come.
Equally, London faces different and perhaps greater challenges than rural or smaller urban areas in ensuring high quality of life for residents, workers and visitors in a way that can last for the long term. Sustaining cohesive communities can be more difficult; waste reduction, recycling and reuse can be a greater challenge in restricted space; local food is harder to find; public transport is easier to use but travel times may be longer with negative social and environmental impacts. The City Limits report1 on London’s ecological footprint published in 2002 found that the average Londoner consumes more than three times their fair share of the earth’s resources.
2. JOINING UP LONDON
London Sustainability Exchange (LSx) is a unique catalyst and capacity builder that works to ensure that London organisations and individuals have the motivation, knowledge and services needed to create the most sustainable world city. It was launched in 2001 to support London to respond to both these local and global challenges.
In the late 1990s, Corporation of London’s Bridge House Trust saw that London needed an independent champion for sustainable development that would support, amplify and ‘join up’ existing work. After a comprehensive feasibility study,2 the Trust invited Forum for the Future, the Association of London Government, Business in the Community, Groundwork, London First and London Voluntary Service Council to create London Sustainability Exchange and provided initial development funding.
London Sustainability Exchange’s basic approach is to bring people together from different sectors to approach the challenges of making London sustainable. It identifies opportunities for strategic partnerships, and motivates people to share knowledge and ideas. It also provides access to learning and practical support for networks of organisations. In summary, it addresses the major barriers to London’s long-term social, environmental and economic success by delivering an integrated process of ‘linking people, spreading knowledge, supporting action’.
London Sustainability Exchange is built on the firm foundations of Forum for the Future’s work in identifying concepts and drivers for sustainable development.3 It reaches out into London directly and via the networks of its six founders. It works with a broad range of partners on specific projects, examples of which are discussed below.
2.1. Sustainable construction
Working with CIRIA, Foundation for the Built Environment, Forum for the Future and others, London Sustainability Exchange is co-ordinating the development of a London Code of Practice for sustainable construction, together with effective implementation support. This aims to deliver a step change in sustainable investment, design, construction and occupation of London’s buildings and infrastructure.
2.2. Learning and skills
LSx has created a network, Learning to Last in London, with the Learning and Skills Development Agency, the Association of Colleges and others. This is helping London learning and skills providers to integrate sustainable development into both curriculum design and organisational management. The new skills that London will need to operate sustainably include the following
‘sustainability literacy’ for all: London’s workforce needs core skills in understanding the external impact of their activities in the same way that they need basic skills in communication, numeracy and IT
specialist skills for a sustainable London—in construction and refurbishment, in waste management and remanufacturing
expansion and development of London’s ‘sustainability support cluster’ of businesses that achieve economic success by responding to worldwide demand for sustainable development consultancy skills, for sustainable construction and sustainably delivered utilities, for associated research expertise and so on.
2.3. Sustainable regeneration
A series of workshops run by London Sustainability Exchange with London Voluntary Service Council and others have considered how a sustainable development approach can contribute to building successful communities. These have highlighted London projects that address social, economic and environmental issues together. London’s sustainable development success stories range from Bedzed’s zero fossil-fuel housing in south-west London to the Respond furniture recycling project in Thamesmead; from the community food grown by Wapping Women’s Project to the regeneration of London’s waterways by British Waterways and their partners.
2.4. Motivating London
London Sustainability Exchange has just begun a new project to motivate Londoners to change their behaviour to be more resource-efficient and value their local environment. The Motivate London project, supported by the Association of London Government, will bring together specialists in the public, private and voluntary sectors responsible for motivating Londoners to behave more sustainably. It will support them with a learning network and knowledge base, and it will undertake a series of pilot projects to add to our knowledge of what motivates Londoners. LSx is keen to work with professionals who wish to join the learning network and organisations that wish to support this project with expertise and partnership opportunities.
3. GETTING INVOLVED
Civil engineers play an important role in creating a sustainable London. Their skills and ingenuity contribute to building the infrastructure we need for sustainable lifestyles inside the M25. They form a key part of London’s significant sustainability services export industry. And, as Londoners, they can help their workplaces and communities to become successful parts of a high-quality, socially cohesive, resource-efficient ‘London that lasts’.
London Sustainability Exchange’s website at www.lsx.org.uk provides three routes to contributing to make London the most sustainable world city. First, it provides links to many of the organisations and projects involved with sustainability across London, together with details of recent news and events. Second, it provides details of how Londoners can take practical steps towards sustainability at home and at work. Third, it provides more details on London Sustainability Exchange’s projects and how you can get involved.
LSx’s short, free bi-monthly email bulletin gives the latest news on its projects and a round-up of major sustainability news in London. You can sign up to receive it by emailing info@lsx.org.uk
