Mayor launches new review harnessing technology to help London tackle climate threat

• New independent review will explore how London can better utilise technology to adapt to climate change   
• Speaking today at London Tech Week, Sadiq highlights the important role data and tech plays in tackling the climate emergency  
• Last year’s heatwaves and heavy rain highlighted capital’s vulnerability to climate change with wildfires, flash floods and school closures 
• Sadiq has invested over £25m to-date to improve London’s climate resilience    

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today commissioned an independent review into London’s preparedness to deal with the potentially devastating impacts of the climate emergency.     

Sadiq announced this major review today to over 700 tech businesses and industry leaders at the opening of London Tech Week, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary as the UK’s biggest tech festival. 

The London Climate Resilience Review will explore how London can harness technology – including AI – to better adapt to, and prepare for, the impacts of a changing climate and future-proof the capital against its devastating impacts. It will then recommend what more can be done to protect Londoners, the environment and the economy from major climate risks including wildfires, flooding and extreme heat.  

In his keynote speech, Sadiq celebrated London’s success as a top destination for international tech business, with new data from London & Partners showing that London has attracted more than 1,700 new international tech firms – more than the likes of San Francisco and New York. London is also home to a growing climate tech sector, enabling further innovation for the path to Net Zero. 

Sadiq went on to share some of the transformative ways that data and technology are helping to tackle the triple threats of air pollution, climate change and congestion. This includes the digital infrastructure which powers the congestion charging zone, hundreds of air quality sensors providing real-time pollution alerts to Londoners, London’s zero emission bus fleets, more than thirteen thousand new electric charging points, sensors in south London to predict and take action to prevent local floods, contactless payments and journey planning apps as well as use of data and AI to help reduce congestion.

The Mayor added that the London Climate Resilience Review, led by Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair of the Green Finance Institute and UN Global Ambassador for Race to Resilience and Race to Zero, would look at the important role that technology and data can play in improving London’s response to the climate emergency and called on the tech industry to contribute to this crucial work.  

Despite record investment from City Hall, and ground-breaking policies and programmes to address climate change, the speed and severity of climate change and its resulting impacts in London are increasing at an unprecedented rate [1]. The flash floods of summer 2021, and devastating fires of 2022, which resulted in the busiest day for the London Fire Brigade since the Blitz, laid bare just how vulnerable London is to the consequences of climate change. Alarmingly, climate scientists are predicting temperature highs up to 5-6 degrees above average by 2050, further increasing the risk of wildfires, heavy rain and flash flooding in the capital.    

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “‘I am committed to ensuring that London adapts effectively to the climate risks it faces using every mechanism at our disposal including the power of technology.  

“The climate emergency is an issue of social justice as the impacts of climate change are not evenly felt. Londoners on lower incomes, those living in areas of high deprivation, people with disabilities and those from ethnically diverse backgrounds are disproportionately likely to be affected by the climate crisis and I am eager to explore how technology can be embraced to help reduce that risk. 

“London is at the forefront of cities globally in using data and technology to reduce congestion, improve air quality and public transport. This important review will gain independent insight into what more needs to be done to make London a climate resilient city as we harness the power of our thriving tech industry to make London a better, greener and safer city for all.”   

Sadiq continues to be at the forefront of the fight for a greener and safer future for all Londoners. Since 2019, he has invested over £24 million through his Green New Deal fund to improve climate resilience across the capital, plus a further £1.5 million to deliver climate adaptation measures to 95 London schools at the greatest climate risk.    

Sadiq’s Climate Resilient Schools programme, jointly funded and delivered in partnership with Thames Water and the Department for Education, has in the past year delivered more than 550 rainwater planters and water audits, saving over 550,000 litres per day, and 60 bespoke climate plans for high-risk schools in London.      

Nearly 80 per cent of the schools supported by the Mayor’s Climate Resilient Schools Programme reported that high temperatures have had a significant impact on students’ learning, productivity or behaviour, or interrupted normal school activity in other ways. During the 2022 summer heatwave alone, the surveyed schools reported a total of 33 closed days, equivalent to an estimated 22,000 days of lost learning.

Emma Howard Boyd CBE, the review’s Chair, UN Global Ambassador for the Race to Resilience and former Chair of the Environment Agency, said: “London needs to be climate ready. During 2022's heatwave London hospitals had to cancel operations as systems crashed in the record-breaking heat. In 2021, flash flooding stopped people getting to work as roads and underground stations were inundated. 

"London should be a global leader in climate security so we need to review its preparations for predictable impacts like storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves. A resilient and successful 21st century city must develop in ways that protect lives and livelihoods. This review is for all of London. Catastrophe is not inevitable but failure to prepare would be a disaster.”

Chris Skidmore MP, Chair of the Net Zero Review, said: "The Net Zero Review found that the UK leads in areas including clean technologies, science, manufacturing and green finance and if managed right, this can lead to new jobs and strong economic growth. As the world prepares for higher sea levels and more intense droughts, I hope that Emma Howard Boyd's review focusing on climate security will help London demonstrate how best to manage these risks so that people here and around the world are prepared for the decades to come."

Mayor Philip Glanville, London Councils’ Executive Lead for Climate Change, Transport and Environment, said: “Recent years have brought devastating severe weather events across the capital that massively impact Londoners' lives and livelihoods. Sadly, London is at risk of these happening more often due to climate change and London’s growing population.

“Boroughs stand ready to build on the commitments already being carried out to safeguard London’s future. London Councils’ climate programmes will work with our partners across the capital to utilise advances in technology highlighted in the review. This is a great next step to ensure collaboration in tackling the elements of climate change that will make the most difference for London’s diverse communities, we look forward to engaging in this work.”  

Bob Ward, Policy and Communications Director at Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, and Chair of London Climate Change Partnership, said: “I welcome this review, which should direct greater attention to the challenges London faces in adapting to climate change and ensuring the city is a safe and attractive place to live and work. The city is particularly exposed to the growing impacts of more frequent and intense extremes of hot weather due to the heat island effect, to the increased threat of tidal flooding from sea level rise, and to higher likelihood of surface water and river flooding from heavy rainfall.

“I hope the review will help the development of a strategic response to these risks in London by communities, companies, and both local and central government. I also hope the review will focus on the most vulnerable people and infrastructure, and consider both direct and indirect risks, such as disruption to supply chains for food and water for the capital. I am sure that all the members of the London Climate Change Partnership will want to contribute to a successful review.”

Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS, Chair of the UK's Adaptation Committee and Chair of the Thames Estuary 2100 Advisory Group, said: "Sea level rise is accelerating in the Thames Estuary. The latest science shows we now need to raise defences upstream of the Thames Barrier in inner London by 2050, 15 years earlier than planned. But tidal flood risk isn't the only climate risk faced by London, we also need to be prepared for increasing heat, and incidences of drought, wildfires and surface water flooding. In most cases we don’t currently have anything like such detailed planning and monitoring in place to address these risks as we do for tidal flooding. This review is critical to London's future and can provide urban areas around the UK with practical actions to meet the challenges of the 21st century."

Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the National Preparedness Commission, said: “Last year, when my review of London’s preparedness to respond to a major terrorist incident was published, I said that preparedness has to be a London-wide endeavour. This is just as true for London’s readiness to respond to the increasing challenges of climate change: every part of the City, every Borough, every community and every business will all have to play their part.”

Professor Anusha Shah, President Elect of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Senior Director of Resilient Cities and UK Climate Adaptation Lead at Arcadis, said: "From the deepest tunnels of the Underground to the top of The Shard, engineers and infrastructure professionals have played their part in shaping London. As London faces increasing disruption from floods and heatwaves, with water shortages in the future, I am keen that our profession contributes to this review. Nature and people will need to be at the heart of our solutions to develop London in a way that gives Londoners a safer, more sustainable, resilient and inclusive built environment."

Tom Marsland, Policy Manager at disability equality charity Scope said: “Climate change disproportionately impacts disabled people, and their needs are regularly overlooked by policy makers. Disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty and have been hit hardest by the cost-of-living crisis. Life costs more if you are disabled, and disabled people often don’t have the resources to be able to make quick or expensive changes to their lives. One in four of us are disabled, and to be successful disabled people need to be at the heart of London’s climate change plans.” 

Amanda Blanc, CEO of Aviva Plc Group, said:Aviva is campaigning for the UK to be the world’s most climate ready major economy by 2030, both in terms of leading the global net zero transition and in protecting people from climate impacts. Cities will be at the heart of this. In London – as elsewhere – officials must give people the tools to build their resilience while growing the green economy. I welcome this review as an important step in that direction.

Janet Coyle CBE, Managing Director for Grow London at London & Partners said: “As one of the world’s top hubs for technology, London is well placed to lead the way in creating innovations to tackle climate change. Due to our city’s thriving climate tech ecosystem, London is already attracting lots of attention from international investors, with London climate tech companies raising a record £1.9 billion of venture capital funding last year. London Tech Week presents a great opportunity for global policy makers and entrepreneurs to share ideas and collaborate on fast-tracking the development of technologies to reduce the negative impact of climate change.”