Islington Council to host special meeting on vision for tackling the climate emergency

The special Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee meeting will give community groups, businesses and other interested parties the opportunity to work with the council to discuss ways to create a more sustainable and healthier Islington.   

In 2019, Islington Council declared a climate emergency and set itself the bold, ambitious target of achieving net zero carbon status by 2030. Since then, the council has published its Vision 2030 report which outlines the necessary steps to achieve this goal.  

The council is urgently pressing ahead with implementing the Vision 2030 strategy, but it is clear that ambitions to create a net zero carbon Islington cannot be achieved without involvement from everyone in the local community.   

To help make this possible, the council has invited community groups, businesses and other local people to the special meeting, which will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, 17 March at 7pm. The meeting will be the second of its kind, following last year’s successful “Tackling the Environment and Climate Emergency” meeting.   

During the meeting, the council will update on its progress, and will work collaboratively with local people and groups to help achieve a net zero carbon Islington.

Cllr Dave Poyser, Chair of Environment & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, said: “We are determined to create a greener and cleaner Islington for present and future generations, and have set the goal of becoming a net zero carbon borough by the year 2030 to address the climate emergency.   

“The council is taking the lead in creating a net zero carbon borough, but it is clear that we cannot achieve our ambitious goals alone.   

“We know that the involvement of the local community is crucial to creating a greener, cleaner and fairer Islington, and the special meeting provides an ideal opportunity for local people to get involved.”  

Islington Council has already taken major steps towards creating a cleaner, greener and fairer borough, including launching the world-first Bunhill 2 Energy Centre which uses waste heat from the London Underground to heat local homes, being a partner in the GreenSCIES project to reduce fuel poverty in the borough and utilise green energy, and launching London’s largest carbon offset fund.     

The Vision 2030 report outlines further steps that the council will take, including improving the energy efficiency of residents’ homes, creating people-friendly street neighbourhoods and implementing School Streets at primary schools across Islington, and electrifying the council’s own vehicle fleet.  

As well as support from everyone in our community,  support from central Government is crucial to achieving a net zero carbon Islington, including adequate, sustained funding and a legislative framework to support the implementation of the Vision 2030 strategy.   

Information on how members of the public can attend the meeting can be found here, and the full Vision 2030 report can be read via the council’s website.