London’s ‘final energy strategy’ should be published by the Mayor in the autumn but already calls are being made to look deeper at renewable energy schemes for London.

London consumes more energy than the whole of Ireland. A radical re-think is needed around the way we use and source gas, electricity and water, says the London Assembly’s Environment Committee, which is concerned about carbon emissions in the city.

In a report, ‘Power in Partnership’ the Environment Committee calls on the Mayor to use his proposed ‘London energy partnership’ to lobby for funding to help develop London as a world leader for sustainable energy and reducing climate change.

London must have its fair share of the Government’s £60m funds for renewable energy, such as solar panels and water heaters, urges the report.

The Mayor is being asked to work with the many groups and networks already operating in the sustainable energy field, and not to set up rival organisations.

The report comes on the back of the Committee’s on-going campaign to reduce the amount of energy being used in the capital. In a bid to deal with climate change and global warming, Members have devised an additional blueprint on energy with targets to reduce carbon emissions.

London faces a challenge in dealing with where it obtains its energy because fossil fuels are running low and global warming is a constant threat. In a statement the Committee said it welcomed the move by Transport for London (TfL) to trial three fuel cell buses next year.

However, committee members are now pressing TfL to produce an action plan to purchase more of these busses after the trial. All major bus fleets across the capital should also be told about the environmental benefits of using this type of fuel, says the statement.