When Lewisham declared a climate emergency, it was a commitment to act, not simply a statement of intent.
For Lewisham Labour and a Labour led Lewisham Council, tackling climate change is not about slogans or distant targets. It is about delivering practical change that improves everyday life for residents.
Cleaner air, warmer homes, greener streets and safer routes to school are not abstract ambitions. They are real outcomes that are already making a difference across our borough.
Many residents rightly care deeply about tackling the climate emergency. In Lewisham we believe the true test of climate leadership is not simply who speaks most passionately about the challenge, but who is delivering practical action to address it.
Across transport, housing, energy and green infrastructure, Lewisham Labour is delivering one of the most comprehensive local climate action programmes of any London borough.
National Recognition for Lewisham’s Climate Leadership
Lewisham’s approach to climate action has been recognised nationally.
In the 2025 Council Climate Action Scorecards published by Climate Emergency UK, Lewisham ranked joint ninth out of 382 local authorities. Independent assessors highlighted the strength of Lewisham’s planning policies, partnership working and the practical climate action already being delivered.
This recognition reflects the approach we have taken in Lewisham. Ambition must be matched with delivery, and climate action must be embedded in the everyday work of the council.
Climate Action That Improves Everyday Life
The climate emergency is global, but its impacts are felt locally. Air pollution, rising energy costs and extreme weather affect communities every day.
That is why the Labour led Lewisham Council focuses on climate policies that improve daily life.
Cleaner air, safer streets and greener neighbourhoods benefit everyone, but especially children, older residents and those living along busy roads.
Supporting public transport, walking, cycling and electric vehicles is not simply environmental policy. It is also about protecting public health, reducing household costs and creating healthier neighbourhoods.
Climate action must work for everyone, not just those who can most easily afford it.
Delivering Real Change Across Lewisham
Under Lewisham Labour and a Labour led Lewisham Council, climate action has moved from ambition to delivery.
Across the borough we have expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure and will soon pilot EV charging gullies, helping residents without driveways charge vehicles safely from their homes. This type of innovation is especially important in a borough like Lewisham where many households do not have off street parking.
We have introduced School Streets, making roads outside schools safer while reducing pollution during drop off and pick up times.
Alongside this work, the council has supported anti idling initiatives outside schools, encouraging drivers to switch off engines while waiting and helping reduce harmful emissions where children are most exposed.
We have also introduced green walls and greening projects at schools, improving air quality while creating greener learning environments for pupils.
Across Lewisham we continue to invest in tree planting, biodiversity projects and greener public spaces, helping strengthen habitats for wildlife while making neighbourhoods greener and more resilient.
Together these programmes represent one of the most comprehensive local climate action programmes being delivered by any London borough.
Warmer Homes and Lower Bills Through Retrofit
One of the most effective ways to cut emissions locally is by improving the homes people already live in.
The Labour led Lewisham Council is delivering a major housing retrofit programme that upgrades existing buildings to make them warmer, healthier and more energy efficient.
A strong example is The Hermitage in Blackheath, a 1940s Art Deco block of flats that has undergone a major retrofit through funding from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. Improvements including new windows, insulation and solar panels mean residents now benefit from warmer homes, lower energy bills and improved energy efficiency.
The Hermitage is part of a wider programme. Lewisham has secured millions of pounds in external funding to retrofit council homes and improve energy performance across the borough, with upgrades already delivered to more than 150 homes and further schemes underway.
This is climate action that cuts carbon while helping families with the cost of living.
Leading by Example
Climate leadership also means reducing emissions from the council’s own operations.
Lewisham has switched all council buildings and schools to 100 percent renewable electricity, significantly reducing the council’s carbon footprint.
We are also decarbonising schools and public buildings, installing solar panels, improving insulation and introducing low carbon heating such as air source heat pumps.
Across the borough more than 24,000 trees have been planted in recent years, improving air quality, strengthening biodiversity and creating greener neighbourhoods.
Lewisham has also launched a Climate Action Bond, allowing residents to invest directly in projects that support the borough’s transition to a low carbon future.
Ensuring the Transition Is Fair
For Lewisham Labour, tackling the climate emergency must go hand in hand with tackling inequality.
The transition to electric vehicles must be accessible to everyone. That is why we are expanding public charging infrastructure and piloting EV charging gullies to support residents without off street parking.
Lewisham has also joined other Labour led councils in calling for a fairer VAT system for public electric vehicle charging. Currently residents who charge at home pay 5 percent VAT, while those relying on public chargers pay 20 percent.
This disparity unfairly penalises households without driveways.
If we are serious about climate justice, the transition to cleaner transport must be fair and accessible to all.
Looking Ahead
The climate emergency remains one of the defining challenges of our time.
Many residents who care deeply about the environment want to see faster progress on climate action, and that sense of urgency is entirely right.
Over recent years Lewisham Labour and a Labour led Lewisham Council have taken real steps to tackle that challenge. We have expanded electric vehicle infrastructure, introduced cleaner streets around schools, planted thousands of trees, invested in greener neighbourhoods and begun a major programme of retrofitting homes.
But the work does not stop here.
A Labour led Lewisham Council will continue to invest in sustainable transport, improve the energy efficiency of homes, support biodiversity and protect the natural environment across our borough.
Because tackling climate change requires more than ambition. It requires leadership, long term commitment and the determination to turn promises into progress.
That is the leadership Lewisham Labour is delivering as we build a greener, healthier and more resilient borough for current residents and future generations.