Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has commissioned an independent review into how technology can be used to deal with climate change in the city.
The London Climate Resilience Review – which will be led by chair of the Green Finance Institute Emma Howard Boyd – will look at the role technology and data can play in improving the response to the climate emergency.
The mayor’s announcement emphasised the potential role of AI, air quality sensors, the digital infrastructure behind London’s congestion zone, flood level sensors, journey planning apps and zero emission bus fleets could support the effort.
It also called on the technology industry to contribute to the work.
The review will look at actions needed at national, regional and local levels and its results are expected to be available by the end of this year. These will be fed into London’s preparations for climate change.
Social justice
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.”
Protecting lives
Emma Howard Boyd commented: "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.”
London has a Better Futures programme to support cleantech businesses in developing solutions to environmental challenges by providing access to technical and business expertise. By the end of April this year it had support over 265 London based businesses.
