Boris pledges low-carbon zones across capital

The Mayor of London has set aside £3 million to develop ten Low Carbon Zones (LCZs) across the capital.

Speaking at Prince Charles’s May Day Summit this week, Mayor Boris Johnson said the flagship LCZs will create jobs and cut the city’s carbon emissions.

Each of the ten zones will receive at least £200,000 funding from the city council, and will be encouraged to apply for extra funds from third party investors.

Areas chosen as LCZs will have to commit to carbon emissions cuts of at least 12% by 2012.

Initiatives used to achieve these cuts are expected to include smart metering and insulation installations across commercial and residential properties.

LCZs will also have to commit to installing small scale renewable energy generators, including solar panels, and decentralised biomass power plants.

Mayor Johnson has pledged to cut London’s emissions 60% by 2025, and the LCZs are expected to lead the way in making this commitment a reality.

Details of LCZs have yet to be released, and they could be as small as a couple of streets, or large enough to cover 1,000 buildings.