Haringey named as one of the UK’s greenest boroughs

Haringey has been named as one of the greenest local authorities in the UK.

The borough has the eighth-lowest carbon emissions per person in the UK and the fifth lowest in London.

Government data published in June and analysed by tech firm Migrate show the CO2 emissions of each local authority between 2005 and 2017.

Haringey’s CO2 emissions were 2.5 tonnes per person in 2017 following a 41 per cent reduction over 10 years.

Greater London is the UK’s greenest region overall, with the lowest carbon emissions per person.
City-wide policies such as ultra-low emissions zones, low-emission buses and taxis have all helped to improve air quality.

But the council, which declared a ‘climate emergency’ in March, has been pressing ahead with its own green agenda.

It has invested more than £1.2 million in solar power generation and in 2018 applied to be part of a City Hall scheme to encourage residents to use solar power.

After a council promotional campaign, there were 1,100 registrations for the Mayor of London’s Solar Together London programme in Haringey – the most in the capital and 21 per cent of the London total.

The council has cut electricity consumption in the buildings it owns by more than 60 per cent since 2014-15 and set up 44 solar installations.

It was also one of the first boroughs to receive Liveable Neighbourhoods funding from the Mayor of London in November 2017, with £4.8million earmarked for tackling congestion and promoting walking and cycling in Crouch End.

Cllr Kirsten Hearn (Labour), cabinet member for climate change and sustainability, said: “We declared a climate emergency in Haringey because we recognise the danger presented by climate change and pollution.

“Haringey is committed to reducing carbon emissions, encouraging sustainable transport while reducing car use and making the borough more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.
“We must take strong action to protect our environment for future generations.”

Local authorities are under growing pressure to cut emissions as concerns over climate change continue to mount.

The Government has set a target for the UK’s carbon emissions to reach net zero by 2050.
Councillors agreed in March 2019 to create an action plan aimed at making Haringey a zero-carbon borough by 2050, which is due to be published next year.