WEBVTT - London’s mayor on lessons from one of the world’s greenest cities 0:00:04.120 --> 0:00:08.240 Welcome to zero. I am Akshatrati this week Climate lessons 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:22.720 from London. More than half of all humans live in cities, 0:00:23.040 --> 0:00:27.000 and that means by definition, cities are a climate problem 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:31.440 because when extreme weather hits cities, it hurts a disproportionate 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:34.720 number of people. Recall what Hurricane Sandy did to New 0:00:34.800 --> 0:00:38.279 York in twenty twelve or the epic floods in Karachi 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:42.600 in twenty twenty two. But cities can also be climate solutions. 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:47.720 Cheaper public transport, more energy efficient homes, tenser living. Cities 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.720 can make lower carbon lifestyles more affordable. When Sadi Khan 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:54.720 was elected as London mayor, he pledged to be the 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:59.080 greenest ever. Now in his third term, as he delivered 0:00:59.160 --> 0:01:01.960 on his ambition, what lessons does he have for other 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:05.280 cities looking to cut emissions and prepare for extreme weather? 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.679 And as a prominent figure in the UK's Labor Party, 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:12.120 how does he see the future of his party and 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:16.520 his country as the politics of climate becomes more contentious. 0:01:17.319 --> 0:01:20.320 I last met Sadi Khan in Rio de Shinio ahead 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.400 of the UN Climate Summit COP thirty. We were attending 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.200 a meeting of the world's mayors organized by C forty, 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.840 a group which partners with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Khant co chairs. 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:35.080 This conversation took place somewhere more familiar, the city of London. 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:50.240 In your twenty sixteen acceptance speech, you said you had 0:01:50.280 --> 0:01:53.360 a burning ambition for Londoners. You said you wanted them 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:57.040 to have decent and affordable homes, a comfortable, affordable commute, 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:01.600 more jobs with better pay, cleaner air, and opportunities that 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:06.360 will fulfill their potential. Ten years on, do you think 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:07.480 you've fulfill that ambition? 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:09.960 Well, it's great to join you on the Bloomberg podcast. 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.800 So I'm really proud of our achievements over the last 0:02:13.040 --> 0:02:17.119 ten years. It's not a mession accomplished instead of working progress. 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.120 What I've learned over the last ten years is you 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:22.639 can't stand stall. You've got to move forward. You've got 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:25.760 to be ambitious for your city and for its residents, 0:02:25.760 --> 0:02:28.519 but also recognize the achievements you've made. The achievements you've 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:32.880 made is creating the bank to allow Londoners to be 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:36.799 asked for their vote again to go forward. I'm really proud, 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.839 whether it's the numbers of votable Hundrey built, whether it's 0:02:40.880 --> 0:02:43.440 the free school mills are providing, whether it's the cleaner 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:48.320 air we've provided, whether it's the fares we've frozen, whether 0:02:48.360 --> 0:02:51.440 it's the youth clubs we've had reopened, whether it's the 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:54.639 police we've invested in, whether it's the jobs we've help 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:58.280 the private sector create, whether it's standing up for our values. 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:01.080 I'm really proud of the years, but there is so 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:04.360 much to do for our city and for its residents 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:05.800 to have their potential fulfilled. 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:08.200 So I want to touch on all those aspects one 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:12.440 by one. Let's start with the Ultra Low Emissions Zone, 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:16.520 this charge that polluting cars have to pay to come 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:19.600 into London. It's been one of your policies that has 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:24.520 allowed for cleaner air, but it's also something that opposition 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:28.919 politicians have caught onto. Despite all the work that you've 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:32.440 done on educating people about why this is beneficial, why 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:36.040 do you think they continue to succeed in opposing this policy. 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:39.560 Well, first, in my own experience of air pollution was 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:43.560 quite recent. Actually in twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, I was 0:03:43.880 --> 0:03:48.000 suffering ill health, difficulty breathing and I was diagnosed with 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:50.800 saying I did I'd never just heard before called adult 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:53.520 onset asthma, and I did some research into how I 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:55.280 got this aspect. Because I was recently fit around the 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:59.680 marathon healthy, I didn't realize that there are these things 0:03:59.680 --> 0:04:02.520 in the you can't see it, called particular matter, nitro 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.680 and oxide, nitron dioxide. It can make you sick, It 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:10.440 can lead to adults having asthma. It can lead to 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:14.200 a diagnosis of dementia, heart disease and cancer premature death. 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:18.000 But children breathing in this stuff can get stunted lungs forever. 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:20.960 So when I first did what I in my first 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:23.680 year is best educate Londons like as you said about 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.839 air pollution. It's unlike the smog in the fifties, you 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:29.800 can't see it right, And so we installed across our 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:33.719 city with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, air quality monitors 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:36.760 so we could let Londoners know how good or bad 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:39.200 the air was. And is it a really interesting comparison. 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:42.320 If you some from hayfever, you're told what the pollen 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:45.160 company is, so you can take action to avert yourself 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:47.480 from the pollen, but nobody tells you about air pollution. 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:51.160 And by educating Londoners about how bad things were we 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:55.799 got permission to begin the first clean AI zone in London. 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:58.120 We began in the center of our city and after 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:02.679 year we saw a remarkable progress in reductions in nitron dioxide, nitronoxide, 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:07.320 particular matter. We then expanded it to in a London 0:05:07.360 --> 0:05:10.080 think of London in three concentric circles, center in an 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:14.000 outer and then we eventually went to outer London. So 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:17.120 the results are remarkable, biggest clean air zone in the world, 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:20.440 remarkable progress and reducing air pollutions. Also, by the way, 0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:25.400 added bonus reduced carbon emissions equivalent to three million flights 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:28.120 from London to New York. But your spot on, there's 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:31.200 been a huge amount of opposition coming from I think 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:35.600 a vocal minority, well funded by vested interest, pumping a 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:40.279 lot of money behind their campaign. But I'm quite clear 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.400 in terms of how I decide upon policy. Two things 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:46.400 I use. One are my values. I believe in social 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:49.919 justice and racial justice and equality, but also the evidence, 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:54.279 the evidences air pollution is bad, the evidences the ultra 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.480 emission zone works. And so I'm willing to have a 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:59.080 fight when it comes to things that are important, and 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.040 this is one fight I'm really pleased we had because 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.200 now people look back at the cleaner zone, the utulomission 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:07.280 zone and say it's so brilliant, We're going to do 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.039 the same. Side speech college in Germany, colleagues in Italy, 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:12.920 colleagues in the USA. Who'll replicate in our policies? 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:16.880 Why has it not been replicated in other major cities. 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:18.600 It's been around in London for a long time. 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:20.040 Now it's a tough fart and you've got to win it. 0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:21.880 And I think you will see winds being done. So 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:24.360 we brought in our congestion charge in two thousand and three, 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.560 and I'm really pleased that New York brought in last year. 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:30.520 Remember what the predictions were, the skies would fall in, 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:33.800 businesses would go bust, they'd be a right in New 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.440 Jersey and in New York. None of that materialized. Additional 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:38.720 revenues which can be used to improve public transport under 0:06:38.720 --> 0:06:41.960 the great new Mayor of New York. Well, similarly, I 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:45.880 think you're seeing across the globe brave mayors wanting to 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:49.279 tackle this issue of air pollution, and some are using 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:52.920 cleaner zones. Whether it's Milan, whether it's Bristol, whether it's Birmingham, 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:54.480 other cities across the globe. 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:58.280 You have now reduced a discount on electric cars on 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:02.440 the congestion charge. You I now saying that this is 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:04.800 the signal you want to send to Londoners that don't 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:06.200 adopt electric cars. 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:08.120 It's okay, yeah, I me explaining the policy behind this. 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:10.520 It's a really important issue you've raised, which is the carrot. 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.320 So the original policy that we had in two thousand 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:17.360 and three, the congestion charge, was to reduce congestion in 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:19.160 the heart of our city, the center of our city, 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:21.680 five boroughs in the higher city, and it led to 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:25.200 a thirty percent reduction in cars. It's worked. What I 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:28.360 sought to do in twenty eighteen was to give an 0:07:28.400 --> 0:07:30.480 incentive for people, if they need to drive, to go 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:33.960 from an internal combustion engine to an electric car. So 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:35.920 there was a discount. In fact, if you had an 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:40.360 electric vehicle, van car so forth, you paid nothing to 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:43.760 come to the center of our city. And it's worked. 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:46.920 And so we've gone from having roughly speaking, twenty thousand 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:49.880 electric vehicles now that one hundred and twenty thousand electric 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:52.240 vehicles coming into the heart of our city twenty percent 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:55.760 of vehicles. So we've got the ultracal emission zone that 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:59.440 leads to cleaner air. We've now got a problem of congestion, 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:02.520 and if we're not careful, you'd have the situation where 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.400 there'll be congestion. I'll beat with electric vehicles. So what 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:08.200 I've done is because I want to still incentivize the 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.240 period from internal combustion engine to electric. There's still a 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.760 discount if you have an electric vehicle or a car 0:08:14.280 --> 0:08:17.720 or a van, to pay less than you would if 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.400 it was an internal combustion engine. But you need to 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:25.600 discourage people driving and if they're alternatives. So what we've 0:08:25.600 --> 0:08:28.960 done is improve public transport, and we've got a great 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:30.760 new Lizbeth Line going through the heart of our city, 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:34.960 great tube system. We've increased fivefold the amount of safe 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:38.480 cycling into our city. We've widened pavements like frozen fairs. 0:08:38.520 --> 0:08:40.240 So the idea is to give you alternative where it's 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:42.559 possible instead of the car, but where you have to 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:44.600 drive a car, if you drive an electric car, you're 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:45.240 get a discount. 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:49.040 So on buses, your father came from Pakistan to London. 0:08:49.440 --> 0:08:52.280 He was working as a bus driver for much of 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:56.680 his life and it is the most affordable public transport option. 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:59.560 For people your frozen fares to keep it more affordable. 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:03.560 But buses are also polluting, and you said now they're 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:05.959 an increasing number of electric buses, but out of the 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:08.839 total of nine thousand buses in London, only about two 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:11.240 thy five hundred are electric. You have a goal to 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:16.000 get to all buses being zero carbon by twenty thirty. 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.199 Are you on track? Well, the second stage is the 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:21.880 first year. My father came from Pakistan, my grandparents from 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:25.320 India to Pakistan. So grandparents and migrants from Indio to Pakistan, 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:28.040 my parents and migrants from Bikistan to London. I'm going 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.320 nowhere born and raised in South London. I'm born here, raised, 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.920 He'll probably die in South for London. And so you're right, 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:39.200 buses are personal to me. Actually we've done some research. 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:42.040 I knew this anyway, but the poorest London that's tend 0:09:42.040 --> 0:09:44.720 to use buses. So you've got roughly speaking, five million 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:47.400 journeys and buses a day in London, four million journeys 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:50.360 on the underground in London, you've got the Elizabeth Line, 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:53.839 the Doctor's Light Railway, the overground and the tram and 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:56.880 so forth, and bikes and so we've tried to make 0:09:56.920 --> 0:09:58.520 buses affordable. A number of things we've done to make 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.480 up affordable. So we've introduced what's called hopperfair, so that's 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:04.800 unlimited bus travel in one hour. Why is that important 0:10:05.160 --> 0:10:07.560 because if you have an outerline, then less good tubes 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:09.360 you both have to change to get to and from 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:13.240 at work. We've also frozen for seven years buses and 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:18.320 so you know, perversely the most expensive city in the country, 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:21.600 the cubest bus fairs really important. And you're right, we've 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:24.079 moved from having just thirty electric buses when I was 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:28.079 first elected, and I got three thousand electric buses, with 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:30.440 a target to get to all of our buses eighty 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:33.480 seven hundred electric by the end of this decade. Well 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.439 in progress. To get in there, we've had challenges because 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:39.439 some of the bus companies can't manufacture at speed the 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:43.000 buses we need. All of our buses though our ultra 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:45.640 emission compliant you disc compliant. Now you raise a really 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:50.040 good point about actually buses were causing the pollution. So 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:53.400 when I first became I sort of looked at our city. 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:55.600 I wanted to know which parts of our city had 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:58.600 the worst air pollution, and you're right, they were by 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:03.839 busy roads predominantly by diesel lorries, hategvs. Heavy goods vehicle 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.080 and diesel buses. And we were still buying diesel buses 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:09.400 when I became mayor. The previous mayor guy called Boris Johnson, 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:11.960 I was still buying these diesel buses. So I stopped 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:14.640 at the purchase of fending you diesel buses. Because we 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:18.040 couldn't overnight change them to electric. We retrofitted the diesel 0:11:18.120 --> 0:11:20.199 buses to make sure they were cleaner up buses. We 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:22.720 also made sure in those parts of our city where 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:25.040 there was the worst air pollution, we got rid of 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:27.640 these diesel buses and they got the electric first. It 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:29.440 was a priority. We had to make sure they got 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:31.920 the cleaner buses at first. And the great news is 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:34.160 now is not just all of our buses are you 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:37.400 less compliant, But we've got the biggest number of electric 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.319 buses of any city in Europe, and we'll get to 0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:42.200 all of them being electric by the end of this decade. 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:46.280 But these frozen bus fares, that you've frozen them for 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:49.559 seven years, how long can you keep them frozen? Given 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:53.120 where fuel prices are right now? But also we expect 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:55.640 these fuel prices despite where the war goes to be 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:57.600 high for at least the next twenty four months. 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.280 Yeah, it's really good question. So at the moment, I've 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.640 always sought to be direct and honest with Londoners. That's 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.160 the best way to operate your politician, you know. And 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:08.000 so the promise I made to London is when I 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:09.920 set my budget for this year is at the moment, 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:12.360 I've only got the money to freeze fares until the 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:15.800 end of July. We're recording this podcast in April, and 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:18.760 I've been straight with Londoners, and I'll after wait and 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:21.240 see as we approach July if I can afford to 0:12:21.280 --> 0:12:23.040 freeze it for the rest of this year. But it's difficult. 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:26.120 You're spot on because not just a fuel prices going up, 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:29.600 but we subsidize our buses. Unlike the Underground, the Tube 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:31.719 or the Elizabeth Line, it doesn't wash its face. So 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:35.000 I've got to cross subsidize. Using other revenue streams to 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:38.280 subsidize the buses is important. Why because as you allude to, 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.520 we've got a cost of living crisis, and so you know, 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:44.400 we're going to carry on with the hopper. But as 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:46.640 soon as I can, I'll be you know, being straight 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.120 with Londoners about what I can do with buses. But 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:52.319 I'm cognizant about if you get two fine in terms 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.439 of fears going up, people stop using them. That's good 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:54.880 for nobody. 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:58.040 You mentioned New York's mayor Mom, Danny, Well, he wants 0:12:58.080 --> 0:12:59.960 to make buses free. What's your advice to him? 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:02.000 Listen, So I'm not going to give Zorra our advices. 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:04.880 He does not need any advice from me. I'm really 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:08.920 excited this energy Zorn is brought to the great city 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:12.280 of New York, the second greatest city in the world. 0:13:12.920 --> 0:13:15.079 But what he's doing is this is really important. And 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.960 I say this to colleagues here Park for a second. 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.559 This man is charismatic, young and good luck and I 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:25.200 hate him. Park the great social media, the great great comms. 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:29.280 He's bringing forward policies that are addressing the needs and 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.520 aspirations of New Yorkers. We can agree to disagree with 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:35.760 the details, but it's not just vibe and people mistake 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:38.640 the lessons of Zorn's rise. Bibe is one part of 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:41.199 the success story, but he's actually talking about issues that 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:43.480 matter to his citizens, as indeed we try and do 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:46.720 in London, and where I think he's right, is recognizing 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.360 that I suspect just like in London, the poorest New 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:54.880 Yorkers use buses and if you're going to encourage people 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:56.880 to leave their car at home, they need alternatives. And 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:57.680 I wish him well. 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:02.240 A lot of Londoners live in apartment blocks. I live 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:05.640 in an apartment block. I own my property, but a 0:14:05.720 --> 0:14:08.679 lot of people rent properties and it can be very 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:12.320 hard to try and get installation of electric car chargers 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:16.719 or solar panels on your rooftop, or heat pumps. What 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:18.320 can you do to make that easier? 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:20.840 Yeah, so we are as a global city. Like many 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:26.800 global cities, populations that rent their transient often tall buildings 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.680 because of the need for high density, and so you 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:32.040 look at the space to either have a drive to 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:35.160 charge your vehicle. You've not got the ability to install 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:38.200 a heat pump for this reasons, or the permission to 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:39.920 install solar panels. So we're doing lots of things to 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:43.120 address that. Firstly, we have in London things called lampposts 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:48.320 lighting on our streets, so we're installing in those light 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:54.080 street lights electric charging points. But also we're using the 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:57.800 opportunity to replicate the success of petrol stations type electric 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:00.960 stations for those who want to charge vehicles. News we 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:05.760 have now gone from zero basically to twenty eight thousand 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.360 electric charging points in London, a third of the country's 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:10.920 charging points in London. We've also got a number of 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:15.840 rapid charging points for commercial drivers across London, really really important. 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.080 So that's the start of this story. In relation to 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:23.040 heat pumps and the solar panels we're working with, we've 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:25.000 got thirty two borrows in London. New York's got five, 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.960 We've got thirty two and they're in charge of municipal 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.680 housing and so we're working with them to install solar 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.280 panels on their roofs, to install heat bubbs in their buildings. 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:38.720 We've got grid energy supporting district energy. We're using in 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:43.160 one of our councilors in North London the waste heat 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:46.240 from our tubes to provide grid energy for the estate. 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:48.600 But if we're going to get to zero, we've got 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:50.360 to think about the challenge you've posed, which is how 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:54.120 do we support those in flats apartments to be energy efiicient. 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:59.600 That could be better insulation, that could mean energy from renewables, 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:01.600 that could mean when it comes to new buildings. We're 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:03.840 making sure our new buildings are fit for the twenty 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:07.480 first century. Simple things like bigger windows that open, you know, 0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:11.800 having systems of energy supply that measure bills are smaller 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:14.280 in the winter, but you have the ability to have 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:16.840 cooler rooms in the winter in the summer, big apart, 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:19.040 which is really important. So the new buildings are really 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:22.360 confident with. But you're right, retro fitch in the older 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:24.200 buildings is a challenge, but I'm confident we'll get there. 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:26.840 And actually this government has announced really good plans in 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.640 relation to local power plans and Biller Bud's got this 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.200 great energy policy where you can use energy from the 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:37.200 communities combination of solar wind in London we've got title 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:40.680 and nuclear outside. So the community energy will be a 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.160 real important way of supporting people like you who are 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:44.440 in apartment blocks flats. 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:47.920 But you also have a more ambitious climate plan than 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.360 the national government. Does you want London to hit net 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:51.480 zero by twenty thirty? 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:54.600 Are you on track? So it's a great poem by branding. 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:56.400 You know, I think I think one's grass should exceed 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:00.520 one's reach and on ab ambitious at the moment, if 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:03.840 you did a curve and a graph. We're not on 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:07.440 target to meet zero by twenty thirty. We think well, 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:09.760 as far as the things I'm responsible for, we are 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:14.240 you know, so police, fire service, public transport. We're making 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:17.240 good progress. We've managed to reduce emissions since i've been 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:19.879 mare borround twenty eight percent since you know, when you 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:23.000 look at the you know, from nineteen ninety it's time 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:25.440 by forty four percent. At the moment, our trajectory is 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:27.399 not to get to net zero by twenty thirty, although 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:30.000 we'll get close with the right sport from the government 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:32.320 and it starts coming. We may get there in terms 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:35.680 of the grid, in terms of renewables, in terms of 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:39.600 these local power plans, in terms of you mentioned buses, 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:42.080 but also we've got to think about other forms of 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:45.199 emissions that comes. They come from you know, our tubes, 0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:47.800 our trains and so forth. So working incredibly hard in 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:49.760 terms of what we can do, but I think you 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:53.280 should be ambitious. What I see my experience of national 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:56.280 prime ministers and presidents is they set targets for thirty 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:58.680 years time, you know, get TONTU by twenty fifty or 0:17:59.000 --> 0:18:01.520 twenty sixty five. Let's be frank. Other than you and me. 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:04.400 They are going to be here, right and so we've 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:06.119 got to have realistic targets. And that's the joy of 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:08.119 being a mayor. You're close to your people and so 0:18:08.240 --> 0:18:11.600 you have realistic targets. And so you know, we've got 0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:14.800 plans for the short term and the medium term, and 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:15.560 I think we'll get there. 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:19.440 Well. One reason you're passionate about climate change is because 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:21.960 of your own experience, which you write about in the Brook, 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:27.680 but also because you see cities as climate solution. You 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:31.440 want these places to grow. In London, there's a need 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:35.879 for lots and lots of housing. In the most recent 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:38.879 study from the Center for Policy Studies, they found that 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.000 built only about four thousand homes when the target was 0:18:42.160 --> 0:18:44.760 eighty eight thousand. What are you doing to speed? 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:47.840 So we're seeing this phenomenon across the globe called urbanization. 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.119 More and more people for reasons we can understand, to 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:53.639 move into cities, big, big cities and so forth. And 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:56.560 actually that's a good thing as long as you plan 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.000 for it. So growth per se is not a problem. 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:01.600 We have to plan for that growth. And all the 0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:04.240 major cities across the world that are successful have this 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:06.560 challenge of affordable housing. By that there are some cities 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:09.800 where population is going down. That's not a good thing. 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:14.080 And we can talk about you know, signs of ill 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:15.560 health for good health in terms of the pulse of 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:17.920 the city. And so we have got a house of 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:20.440 crisis in London. I think that's the biggest crisis we 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:23.680 face as a city structurally, not just in terms of 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:26.600 not enough housing. We're not enough affordable housing. We've got 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:30.920 in London a population circle ten million, two point seven million. 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:35.320 Those are living in rents accommodation. It's unaffordable. Quality is 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:37.199 not great and scourge of ten is not great. We're 0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:39.520 going to address all three of those issues. Biggest way 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:42.240 to address them is increased supply. Supply is going to 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:44.280 meet demand. Now, in the recent pasts, we've had a 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:47.480 big problem, as you've alluded to. I call it perfect storm. 0:19:47.920 --> 0:19:52.440 Combination of Brexit, combination of the pandemic, combination of the 0:19:52.480 --> 0:19:56.480 consequences of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. List trust is mini 0:19:57.640 --> 0:20:01.320 budget as letter. For example, inflation in steel this fifty 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:05.480 percent price has gone up, concrete forty four percent. We've 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:08.080 also had the legacy of the awful fire at Grenfell, 0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:11.199 where seventy two people lost their lives. So there's new 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:14.119 safety requirements and tall buildings, a second staircase, and that 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:16.359 perfect storm has caused all problem in terms of housing 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:20.119 in London. The great news this government has come to 0:20:21.480 --> 0:20:24.560 our support and rescue in terms of working with us 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:27.720 to get house boarding going again. Prior to the pandemic, 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:30.720 we'd had the most counsel homes municipal housing built since 0:20:30.720 --> 0:20:34.119 the nineteen seventies, most homes completed since the nineteen thirties. 0:20:34.200 --> 0:20:36.080 By the way, still not enough. As you said, there's 0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:38.840 a target office speaking eight eight thousand. That's for the 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:41.920 supply to meet the demand. We've never got there. The 0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:44.159 last time we got there was the nineteen thirties and 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:46.720 so for the foreseeable future we're not going to meet 0:20:46.720 --> 0:20:50.040 the target. But having any stretching target means we'll get 0:20:50.119 --> 0:20:51.800 more homes built. They're going to be the right source 0:20:51.840 --> 0:20:52.160 of homes. 0:20:58.240 --> 0:21:00.880 After the break. More of my conversation with Sadi Khan. 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:03.920 If you're enjoying this episode of Zero, please take a 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:06.920 moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, 0:21:07.000 --> 0:21:11.000 and Spotify. It makes the algorithms happy and helps more 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:35.440 people find this podcast. So one of the things in 0:21:35.560 --> 0:21:38.400 these emergency measures that are being brought in to try 0:21:38.480 --> 0:21:42.440