A strong indication of what could be in the strategy is contained in a Greater London Authority report published this morning on Environment and Sustainability.
It was produced by the Mayor’s Policy Commission on the Environment.
Speaking at a press conference to launch the report, Darren Johnson, environment advisor to the Mayor and chair of the Commission said: “I believe the GLA is extremely well placed to deliver a green agenda. Environmental issues are key to the economic, spatial and transport development for London in the future and this report will act as a useful guide in that way.”
Dr David Goode, head of environmental strategies at the GLA, said that a lot of areas will be covered in the Mayor’s strategies including biodiversity, air quality and the development of policies for waste. But he emphasised that “a range of sectors and ethnicity of London society” needed to be involved.
New industries
On waste and recycling, the Commission said it recognised “that management of London’s waste presents some of the most intractable environmental problems facing the capital. A fundamental change of attitude to waste is required, reducing the overall amount of waste being produced and converting the waste-stream into products for new industries.”
This idea of London actually recycling and reprocessing recyclable materials close to, or within, the Greater London area is likely to figure strongly in the waste strategy which is expected to be published in mid-March 2001. Already London Waste Action has prepared plans for glass, paper and composting plants in East London.
The Mayor’s strategy is also expected to follow the Commission’s recommendations on waste minimisation and the use of green waste as compost in London’s parks and in the horticultural trade.
Household or weight?
Financial mechanisms will also be included in the strategy although one recommendation by the Commission is not expected to be accepted by Mayor Ken Livingstone. This is a call by the Commission to change the way waste collection authorities pay for waste through the council tax system per household rather than by weight. The Commission recommends that it should be by weight which would encourage councils to recycle more.
Nor is the strategy likely to adopt 50% targets for the recycling of office paper.
Councillor Rupert Perry of the North London Waste Authority said the current system was unfair to some London councils. “I am particularly concerned about he levy. Now boroughs like Hackney don’t need to do much recycling – they are in effect subsidised by Camden. The problem is that Hackney members could never vote to change the system.”
The report will be available soon on the GLA website at Greater London Authority.
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