Recommendations

Final Recommendations

The recommendations were arrived at by Assembly members in the final stage of the Assembly process. They are presented in three categories: minimising emissions from transport; minimising emissions from the energy we use in our domestic and commercial buildings; and other actions outside the key themes of the Assembly.

Recommendations were developed iteratively. They began with Assembly members’ ideas which were then consolidated and, in the final Assembly meeting, voted on, discussed and further developed collectively. As there was insufficient time to agree the wording of all recommendations at the final meeting, members were given the opportunity to review the wording via their online platform in the days that followed. They were invited to indicate how satisfied they were with the final wording by assigning a score to each.

What's next? The Steering Group will hear these recommendations and make commitments accordingly. In the autumn, the recommendations will be presented to the full council. By the end of the year, they will form a climate action plan for Lambeth, made in collaboration with the rest of the borough.

Transport

1. To reduce the number of journeys made using private vehicles, Lambeth Council together with Transport for London should review existing public transport routes in the borough to ensure greener transport options are introduced effectively and quickly based on user need.

• Green public transport options should be continuously implemented across the borough, addressing the routes / potential routes with the worst provision first.

• The review needs to consider routes which are currently not covered by public transport and those which can be covered by other methods of transport, such as cycling or walking, to ensure the borough offers an integrated green transport system.

• This will need to involve experts in the field and engagement with residents to ensure different sources of data are being considered.

• The review work can begin immediately but changes must be tracked and adapted over time as working patterns emerge post-pandemic.

• The review should consider where Lambeth Council can have most impact in reducing car usage, such as:

- Replacement of car parking spaces with green spaces and cycle storage

- The cost of Car Parking Zone permits

- EV infrastructure is placed in parking spaces, rather than on street

- Promote vehicle sharing and short-term car hire

2. Organisations across the borough should encourage and enable cycling through development of better cycle routes and cycle storage. Lambeth Council should play a coordinating role, working with: neighbouring local authorities (to ensure continuity at boundaries); local and national cycling organisations (for advice);TfL (to support integration with the wider transport network); housing providers and developers (to provide more convenient cycle storage) and businesses, who should make it as easy as possible for their staff and customers to cycle.

• To encourage uptake, it is important to ensure the right training can be accessed by all (for cyclists, but also for other road users such as drivers or those on e-scooters) and to provide safe storage possibilities across the borough.

• London councils will need to work together to build evidence from elsewhere (for example where cycling uptake is greatest, such as Amsterdam or Copenhagen, or innovative methods are being introduced such as underground bike parking in Tokyo) combined with local data and insight from the public to understand what deters/encourages cycling.

• This work needs to start quickly to build on current growth in cycling, with creating more storage a priority, followed by the review work.

• Safety needs to be the highest priority for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooters, etc. There should be a borough wide campaign for a 'Safe Lambeth'

3. Businesses and other organisations in the borough need to take full responsibility to immediately start operating with green transport methods when delivering their goods and services (including those who are sub-contracted by, for example, the council and other public sector bodies).

• Lambeth Council should lead in setting borough-wide standards but will need to collaborate closely with large organisations (e.g. the NHS), big businesses and local business groups who have a lot of learning to share about this.

• Businesses in the borough should be urged to use electric vehicles / cycling wherever possible.

• Data gathering on use of electric vehicles / cycling by businesses should be implemented immediately.

• Shopping locally should be promoted and enabled above online shopping which increases delivery miles among consumers.

• Enforcement needs to come from local authorities, central government, Transport for London, and consumer pressure. It is important that smaller businesses in the borough receive the right support to make the necessary changes.

• Green business transport should be implemented to as a large extent as possible within the next 3-5 years.

4. Lambeth Council should work together with all other key transport actors, and representatives of vulnerable groups, to ensure more vulnerable groups can be supported when any changes to transport in the borough are introduced.

• The council needs to take the lead because they have the authority to bring organisations together, but they need to work closely with central government.

• It is also essential to work alongside voluntary sector, faith groups and the private sector.

• To start this work, research should be undertaken to understand how certain groups will be affected by changes to transport.

• A specific team needs to be created within the council with responsibility for ensuring a ‘just transition’. However, everyone needs to take steps to protect groups who are more vulnerable or likely to be more adversely impacted by changes, such as older people, disabled people, and those on low incomes.

• This recommendation needs to be considered alongside all other recommendations in transport and implemented immediately and holistically as changes are planned.

Energy use

5. Developers, housing providers (the council and others) and energy providers should be required to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the borough.

• Lambeth Council should lead by example by taking responsibility for reducing emissions from council properties; supporting other housing providers and freeholders to take action in their own properties; and ensuring developers are building sustainable energy solutions into new developments.

• Specific actions for the council should include: rolling out a scheme to improve insulation; undertaking feasibility studies on the use of district heating; communicating to freeholders what their options are, and lobbying government: a) to make any necessary changes to planning regulations to support energy efficiency and sustainable energy systems; and b) to provide innovative financing (such as 'green grants') for improving properties.

• Grant investment should be monitored to ensure funds are used correctly.

6. Lambeth Council should set targets on energy-related emissions in the borough which encourage residents, landlords, businesses and other organisations to improve their energy efficiency.

• These targets should be used supportively and collaboratively, offering rewards for good performance, but also consequences for poor performance.

• Targets should be communicated regularly and transparently.

7. Energy providers should support and work collaboratively with Lambeth Council on how best to increase awareness (and understanding) amongst the borough's residents, businesses and other organisations on how to save energy and make their homes and commercial buildings more energy efficient.

• The Council and energy providers should immediately develop and implement a phased communication plan, with the aim of making as many people as possible aware of how energy use in both domestic and public buildings can become greener and more efficient.

8. Public sector organisations and big businesses should focus on reducing emissions relating to energy use in their own buildings and those companies to whom their services are outsourced or contracted.

• Lambeth Council should lead on this in partnership with the NHS, universities, colleges and schools, and other public institutions.

• An independent group will advise, monitor and develop a road map for use throughout the relevant organisations.

• This should be set up within the next budgetary year.

9. Lambeth Council should coordinate a scheme to retrofit homes, especially supporting people on lower incomes.

• They should do this by bringing together businesses, financial institutions and private landlords; and where necessary lobbying central government for the resources to enable this.

• Communication about the need for retrofitting should start immediately; within 2 years there should be a plan for how this work should be resourced and rolled-out; and within 5 years this plan should be implemented.

Waste & Recycling

10. Lambeth Council should take the lead alongside big businesses in working with residents and organisations in the borough to minimise waste and increase recycling.

• Lambeth Council should support residents to get involved in recycling and waste schemes through supporting local groups that can act as champions and create representative groups of residents that can take action on this recommendation and encourage behaviour change amongst their neighbours.

• Recycling facilities should be improved immediately, especially for larger blocks of flats.

• Communication to residents on how to use local recycling facilities should be improved immediately.

• Big businesses in the borough should ensure their waste is minimised and that they have sufficient recycling standards, matching those of the Council.

• The Council should, together with local businesses, look at introducing reward and/or penalty schemes to encourage good recycling and waste behaviour. It is important to consider how penalty schemes are focused more towards businesses than residents, to avoid unfair impact.

Consultation & Engagement

11. Lambeth Council should collaborate with residents, businesses, community groups and elected representatives to set up a system of ongoing monitoring, engagement and involvement in environmental issues in Lambeth.

• This would promote transparency, help to communicate the challenge and potential solutions, and hold the council, businesses and other organisations to account.

• There should be committed representatives, regular meetings, citizens assemblies and political feedback with learning shared in all directions (to the community and from the community to those in authority). This needs to reach groups who are less often heard e.g. prison population, homeless people, disabled people and at-risk groups.

• This should start immediately – there is no need to put a hold on accountability and fairness.

• An independent monitoring group should be set up to make sure the right recommendations/policies are agreed and adhered to in Lambeth.

Green Spaces

12. Green spaces should be created and reclaimed for communities to use in promoting biodiversity and food growing. Lambeth Council will need to coordinate this, working with community organisations, community service, schools, corporate sponsors and residents.

• There should be participant agreements, donations to the scheme, unused land reclaimed, rooftop space considered, and partnerships with garden centres to make use of expertise and tools.

• Resourcing and set-up should start now, and activities should start as soon as it is safe to do so.

Central Government

13. Taxation measures should be considered to encourage businesses in the borough to operate in an environmentally friendly way.

• The local Chamber of Commerce and Lambeth Council need to take the lead, working closely with the NHS, Business Associations, and local business representatives.

• This recommendation is not about raising taxes for all but changing the taxation system to tax the biggest offenders whilst supporting businesses to change their behaviours.

• Income generated should be used to improve town centres, making them more accessible to sustainable methods of travel so that people are encouraged to use these methods of transport to reach local businesses where they are able to do so.

• It is important to consider how any penalties avoid driving smaller local businesses out of Lambeth.