Millions to be invested in making London’s buildings energy efficient

Sarah Shaffi Sunday, December 16, 2012
10:47 AM

Millions of pounds is to be spent on making hundreds of public buildings in London more energy efficient.

Schools, libraries and courts will be among the sites to benefit from the Mayor’s programme to save costs and reduce bills by retrofitting them with energy efficiency measures.

According to the Mayor’s office London’s buildings are responsible for 80 per cent of CO2 emissions in the capital, “and as three quarters of our buildings will still be standing in 2050, retrofitting is crucial if carbon emissions are to be reduced”.

In the last year 59 public sector organisations including Transport for London, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and the University of London, have committed to the Mayor’s RE:FIT programme to install energy saving measures, with 111 buildings either complete or near completion.

In the next phase of the programme, about 400 buildings will benefit from funding, saving the public purse in the region of £7million each year according to the Mayor’s office.

Among the bodies to sign up for the next phase is the Ministry of Justice, which will renovate its headquarters and 11 courts around the capital, as well as the London School of Economics, which will renovate 12 buildings.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Retrofitting London’s public buildings is having a real impact in cutting both energy bills and carbon emissions, making it a win-win for Londoners.

“Decades from now hundreds of our public buildings will still be standing, and it’s our responsibility to make sure they are as efficient as possible for future generations.

“What’s more, RE:FIT is already benefiting Londoners today, boosting jobs through the burgeoning low carbon economy.”

The Mayor of London has set a target to reduce London’s CO2 emissions by 60 per cent of 1990 levels by 2025.