BelSoc was invited to join this event held at the Greenwood Centre in Kentish Town on Saturday 26 April. There were about 75 attendees, a number of council officers and two councillors.
In 2019 Camden declared a climate and ecological emergency. This recognised the threat of climate change and the irreversible damage to our planet it may cause. They held their first Citizen’s Assembly on the climate crisis in 2019. They considered evidence from climate scientists, environmentalists and community energy practitioners, and developed 17 recommendations for how Camden should address the climate crisis. These formed the basis of their Climate Action Plan 2020-2025.
The Plan is a framework for climate action for everyone living and working in Camden, with the aim of supporting an equitable transition to a zero carbon Camden, while recognising that the Council only has powers or influence over a third of greenhouse gas emissions. It is a plan for what is known as “climate mitigation” – this means taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, in order to prevent further warming and the impacts of climate change from getting worse.
The Camden Action Plan has the following themes:
- People: Everyone who lives, works, studies and visits the borough will be well informed and actively contribute to tackling the climate crisis in all aspects of their lives,
- Buildings: Buildings will be energy efficient, comfortable and fit-for-purpose for a zero-carbon future,
- Places: Public spaces will encourage and enable healthy and sustainable travel choices and promote biodiversity,
- Organisations: All organisations in Camden will operate responsibly and embed tackling the climate crisis throughout their operations.
The Plan can be seen in full at this link
Camden has taken bold action to help tackle the climate crisis. Borough wide carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 (the latest year of data), and with help from the decarbonisation of the national grid, were 48% below 2005 levels. Across the Council’s own estates and operations, emissions have reduced by 65% since 2010.
In November 2023 Camden published their first Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, which set out how they will help build a climate resilient Camden. The two-year action plan was designed to build on their understanding of how climate hazards (focusing on flood and heat risk) will affect Camden, whilst devising a set of activities to improve the borough’s resilience to them.
2025 is the final year for both the Climate Action Plan and the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan. It is now time to refresh the Climate Action Plan to make sure that it still represents Camden communities’ priorities, to add in themes and actions that are missing, and to bring adaptation and resilience into the heart of the plan.
At the event we were divided into eight groups, each with a council facilitator. Representatives from Climate Reality and the Greater London Authority reminded us of the causes and impacts of climate change and the local risks we face in Camden. The Council shared what’s been achieved so far through the Climate Action Plan, what they know is still missing and what residents have already told them matters most. The majority of emissions come from buildings – particularly homes and commercial spaces – making them a key focus for local climate action.
Ahead of this Climate Action Day the Council had been speaking to residents across Camden to find out what matters most to them. They found that air pollution, heatwaves, flooding and biodiversity loss were their major concerns. The climate actions which residents considered important were reducing waste, re-use and recycling, home energy efficiency, greening, and active and sustainable travel.
We were then asked to review the 2019 Citizens Assembly recommendations and consider how well they reflect what matters most for the next Climate Action Plan.
A summary of the day’s responses will be made available shortly and will be included in the next Newsletter. The Council are hoping to consult on the draft 2026 Climate Action Plan in July/August and publish it in early 2026.
We were asked for our reflections on the current Climate Action Plan:
- What would you like to see more of?
- Was there anything you felt was missing?
- What could be improved going forward?