6 minute read
Environment
Bold plans to secure green, clean future for London
A new report has set out the scale of the action required to move London towards a greener future and net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Published by Element Energy and
commissioned by the Mayor of London, the analysis shows that more action will be required by City Hall, particularly around reducing vehicle use in London, but that the mayor does not have the funding or powers to deliver everything that’s required alone.
Sadiq Khan called the report a stark wakeup call for the government to provide much greater support to help London reach net-zero by 2030 and help the UK reach national targets announced before COP26. He has outlined several policies that could be ready within the next few years to encourage Londoners, and those who drive within London, to shift from polluting cars to electric vehicles, public transport and sustainable active travel such as walking and cycling. The potential approaches under consideration are:
• Extending the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) even further to tackle more of the dirtiest vehicles: extending the current zone beyond the north and south circular roads to cover the whole of Greater London, using the current charge level and emissions standards • Modifying the ULEZ to make it even more impactful in reducing emissions: building on the existing scheme by extending it to cover the whole of
Greater London and adding a small clean air charge for all but the cleanest vehicles • A small clean air charge: a low-level daily charge across all of Greater
London for all but the cleanest vehicles to nudge behaviour and reduce the number of short journeys by car • Introducing a Greater London boundary charge, which would charge a small fee to non-London registered vehicles entering Greater London, responding to the increase in cars from outside
London travelling into the city seen in recent years The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) will now begin a consultation with Londoners, local government and businesses about how to achieve the clean, green and healthy future London and the world desperately needs. Sadiq Khan said: “This new report must act as a stark wake-up call for the government on the need to provide much greater support to reduce carbon emissions in London. It’s clear the scale of the challenge means we can’t do everything alone. “We simply don’t have time to waste. The climate emergency means we only have a small window of opportunity left to reduce carbon emissions to help save the planet and, despite the world-leading progress we have made over the last few years, there is still far too much toxic air pollution permanently damaging the lungs of young Londoners. “This is also a matter of social justice, with air pollution hitting the poorest communities the hardest. Londoners on lower incomes are more likely to live in areas of the city most badly affected by air pollution and are least likely to own a car. Nearly half of Londoners don’t own a car, but they are disproportionally feeling the damaging consequences polluting vehicles are causing. “It’s clear the cost of inaction – to our economy, to livelihoods, to the environment and to the health of Londoners – would be far greater than the cost of transitioning to net-zero and reducing toxic air pollution. That’s why I’m beginning a conversation with Londoners, local government and businesses about the best way forward to create the green, sustainable city we all want to see.”
Going for growth
After working for more than 30 years in the IT corporate sector, Alex Miller fancied a change of career. Now he dedicates his time to coaching and mentoring others, providing practical advice to entrepreneurs to help them scale up their business.
Alex is the founder
and director of Eiger Coaching, and works with a range of start-up and established businesses across many different industry sectors.
He says: “As your coach and mentor, I provide practical advice and guidance as well as being your accountability partner, which will set you up for the success you want.
“I work with a wide range of people, some with just a vision, start-ups looking to get all the pieces in place to launch their business as well as established businesses looking to increase their revenues, profits and overall operational business performance.
“I’m a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and follow their best practice and code of ethics.
With extensive experience across multiple business sectors and industries along with professional coaching skills, I bring the expertise and structure that my clients are looking for to help you build or develop their business. Whether they are a solopreneur or an established multi-million business, I’ll work with each to identify clear goals and actions to be taken in the right order, right time and with confidence.”
Alex helps entrepreneurs to commercialise their ideas and established firms to scale up their business. He also acts as a sounding board for business leaders to air their views, including those who are suffering from stress and burn-out and those who are new to a leadership role and are struggling to make an impact. “I work with seasoned leaders and those new to leadership,” says Alex. “Whether you’re looking for an accountability partner, a sounding board to share ideas with or just someone who’ll provide support and guidance, I can help remove blockers and reposition my clients to be more successful and productive. I’m independent, confidential and non-judgemental.
“When growing or scaling their business, entrepreneurs sometimes go down a path that does not leverage the successes of their existing business. They go off at a tangent and move away from their core business rather than building on their current business portfolio and investments. Other entrepreneurs have some great ideas but don’t have the focus to integrate them into a proper business development strategy.
Alex has developed a framework called “Kinetic”, to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. The framework provides a structured, proven method to ensure activities are carried out systematically, potentially saving entrepreneurs significant time and money. It can also help entrepreneurs who are further ahead on their journey, on areas such as business and strategic planning.
Alex says: “The business plan maps out what the business will do: the company’s purpose (vision and mission), and the key financial and success factor goals. The strategic plan maps out how the entrepreneur is going to achieve these goals. The “Kinetic Framework” comes with a 36-page guide that can be used during coaching and mentoring sessions to provide focus and clarity at different stages of an entrepreneur’s journey.”
