£4m for London projects to improve climate resilience

Sadiq Khan has awarded £4 million from the Green and Resilient Spaces Fund to projects that will help improve green spaces across London and safeguard the capital from the impacts of climate change.

The Mayor of London announced that six large scale projects have received a combined £3.44 million in grant funding to bring benefits to areas more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and will strengthen climate resilience, increase biodiversity, improve access to green space, build green skills and promote health and well-being.

The Green and Resilient Spaces Fund will improve the quality and climate resilience of over 57 hectares of public green space, equivalent to the size of over 2000 tennis courts and restore nature to 5km of river in the capital. It is just part of the Mayor’s investment in London’s green and blue spaces.

Funded projects include: £700,000 to open up currently inaccessible waterside green space at West Reservoir for public access, allowing people to circulate around the perimeter of the water, as well as creating new reedbed habitats for wildlife; and £600,000 for Groundwork London, in partnership with London Borough Hillingdon, to lead a series of inter-linked projects across the Pinkwell ward and ​surrounding green and blue spaces, greening housing, schools, parks and streets.

Khan said: “The climate emergency is one of the biggest global threats we face today. Here in London we are already experiencing first-hand the devastating impact of the climate crisis, with flash floods in the summer of 2021 and heatwaves in 2020, which led to almost 500 additional deaths.

“This crisis also exacerbates social and racial injustice.  The effects of the climate crisis won’t impact all Londoners equally – with areas of London with the highest Black, Asian and minority ethnic populations much more likely to face the worst consequences of  London’s climate emergency. Poverty, deprivation and health inequalities will also reduce people’s ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from overheating and flooding incidents.

“As Mayor, I want London to lead the way in tackling the climate emergency and for all Londoners to be have access to great green spaces close to where they live. The new funding I am announcing today and my Rewild London Fund are just the start of even more investment in green spaces, nature and projects to improve life in our city and help tackle the climate emergency, so we can build a greener, fairer London for everyone.”