Ms Rodrigues is currently acting executive director for climate change at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), having previously worked in City Hall in environmental policy roles from 2005 to 2009.
She replaces the former Deputy Mayor for environment Matthew Pencharz, a key aide to the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who stepped down in May and has taken up a role at sustainability consultancy MSP Strategies.
Despite facing a number of key challenges to improve recycling rates in the capital, which have been criticised in recent years, the new Deputy Mayor’s environmental priority is likely to be air quality, with the Mayor having already set out a strategy to clean up the city’s air.
Challenges
The recycling rate across London’s 32 boroughs currently sits at around 33% – with the capital home to some of the country’s lowest performing recycling authorities, including Lewisham and Newham who clocked recycling rates of 17.1% and 17.2% respectively in 2014/15.
Challenges across the city include improving recycling participation in flats, communicating effectively with a diverse population and re-educating residents who have moved from borough to borough.
Commenting on the appointment, Sadiq Khan said: “Shirley Rodrigues brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience and is the perfect person to deliver my agenda to make London a cleaner and greener city.”
Ms Rodrigues added: “I am delighted to be working with Sadiq on his ambitious plans to make London one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world.”
Recent initiatives set up in the capital in a bid to boost recycling rates have included a joint WRAP and LWARB partnership – Resource London – set up in early 2015 to provide a range of support to London waste authorities helping them to save money while continuing to maintain services.
In his Mayoral campaign Sadiq Khan pledged to ‘reinvigorate’ the capital’s efforts on recycling – adding that he would work towards a 65% recycling target for the city by 2030 (see letsrecycle.com story). However, the Mayor has yet to carry forward any formal policies on waste since his appointment in May.
Register for free to comment