City Corporation cuts carbon emissions by 31%

A new report by the City of London Corporation has revealed the organisation has
cut its annual carbon emissions by 31% since 2018. The figure was published in the Square Mile governing body’s first account of its progress toward reaching net-zero as part of its ambitious Climate Action Strategy.

It achieved the reduction through energy efficiency improvements to its property
portfolio, including at its historic headquarters at Guildhall, the Old Bailey, and the
iconic Barbican Arts Centre.

The organisation also cut its overall energy consumption by 21%.

Updates to heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting systems were funded by the City
Corporation itself and £9.5m from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation
Scheme.

The report is published today alongside a first-of-its-kind Climate Action Dashboard.
The Dashboard includes independently verified data and gives a transparent public
account of the City Corporation’s progress in reducing carbon emissions.

The organisation aims to reach net zero in its own operations by 2027, and in its
investments and supply chain by 2040. It is also supporting the achievement of net
zero for the whole Square Mile by the same year. The organisation is investing £68m
to achieve these goals.

The City Corporation is also building climate resilience to extreme weather in the
Square Mile. Updated City planning regulations will ensure new developments
include carbon reduction plans in their designs and encourage more sustainable
buildings including green roofs and walls.

And the City Corporation is now working with Arcardis, the world’s leading
sustainable design and engineering consultancy, to model a ‘digital twin city’ of the
Square Mile. The platform will run different climate change scenarios and help build
climate resilience policy.