London Councils and the UK’s 11 Core Cities, along with the innovation body Connected Places Catapult, formally launched the UK Cities Climate Investment Commission on Thursday (1 July) as part London Climate Action Week.

The commission marked its launch by publishing research from environmental consultancy Eunomia that estimates that up to £330 billion of green investment is required to meet net zero in the UK’s core cities.

Chair of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee, Mayor Philip Glanville, said: “London boroughs and the UK’s 11 Core Cities have a huge responsibility as economic and population centres to create solutions to reach net zero targets. Securing private finance is going to be critical in meeting our climate ambitions and today’s launch is a momentous step towards achieving this.

“Local government has a key role to play in reaching climate targets and achieving long term investment for tackling climate change in a way that leaves a positive legacy for our local communities. Only by working together and stressing the need for investment in net zero, from both government and private investors, can we begin to safeguard the environmental future of our cities and those who live, work and visit in them.”

A new report from London First, in association with AECOM, Grant Thornton UK LLP and London Councils, has called on the public and private sector to collaborate more closely to create housing partnerships to help unlock land, investment, resources, and knowledge to address the capital’s housing shortage.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Planning, Cllr Darren Rodwell said: “With 165,000 Londoners currently living in temporary accommodation – more than the entire population of cities such as Norwich (143,000), Lancaster (146,000), or Oxford (152,400) – we urgently need to build more homes in the capital.

“Housing partnerships are one of the ways boroughs are working to tackle the housing crisis, at a time when council budgets are under continued pressure. We want every Londoner to have the security of somewhere to call home, but we can only do this with more investment to significantly increase housebuilding.”

You can download the full report here

London Councils Executive Member for Business, Economy and Culture Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, LCCI chief executive Richard Burge and London First Director of Policy and Strategy Muniya Barua joined London MPs at an APPG for London event on Monday to discuss business recovery in the capital. The event was chaired by Sir Bob Neill MP.

Cllr Campbell raised the need to build the green economy and narrow social and economic inequalities in London as “the shop front of the UK”, and raised issues around the government's funding methodology that needs to recognise the scale of the challenges the capital faces.

The APPG for London is a forum for MPs and Peers to work together on a cross-party basis to strengthen the capital's voice in Parliament.

London Councils provides the secretariat to the group on behalf of London government including the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. You can follow the APPG for London on Twitter @APPGforLondon.

Transport for London and London Councils have announced an expansion of the capital’s trial of rental e-scooters, with e-scooters available to rent from Monday 5 July in the City of London and northern parts of Lambeth, while people will now be able to ride them in Southwark. 

The expansion will mean that the number of vehicles will increase from around 600 to 1,200 across London and will now be available at more key inner and central London destinations.

Two by-elections took place in London boroughs last week (1 July). In Enfield, Peter Fallart (Con) was elected to represent the Bush Hill Park ward. In Islington, Mick Gilgunn (Lab) was elected to represent the Tollington ward.

You can read the results in full here: Bush Hill Park; Tollington

London Councils has added an Instagram account to its social media. You can follow us @londoncouncils