London’s Green MEP, Jean Lambert, has today welcomed the Mayor’s climate change action plan that looks set to cut the capital’s emissions by 60% within 20 years, but Jean warned that with emissions from London’s domestic sector accounting for 37%, higher than levels from transport, we must not lose sight of the impact individual changes to our homes can make.

Jean, whose new report ‘Hothouses’ recently confirmed that a failure to rapidly reduce emissions from London’s housing stock would be to miss a positive opportunity to meet a social and environmental need.

Jean commented; “The dangers of climate change are escalating at a rate which should cause us all the most serious alarm.  We have to act now by changing our lifestyles and everyday behaviour if we are to make the necessary impact.  The longer we delay, the worse the consequences will be.

“In London alone there are nearly one million homes with un-insulated cavity walls, severely increasing levels of damaging emissions from the domestic sector.  By insulating our homes, turning the heating down a notch or two and simply taking greater care to turn off lights and electrical equipment when not in use we can make a real difference.

“The urgency demanded by the threat of climate change however requires a greater and more focused commitment to drive this agenda forward. To support this however we need to see effective Government policies and initiatives that allow everyone to make the change.”

ENDS