Green Apple Award

Barking and Dagenham Council has been awarded a National Green Apple Award in recognition for its work around tackling the causes and impacts of climate change.  The Council was commended for the environmental design and development of the new Leys Children Centre, Dagenham.  The centre won the award for its innovative and effective design and the way it reduces its impact on the environment, cuts carbon emissions and slashes energy bills.

Eco-friendly Millennium Centre

As well as this Barking and Dagenham is home to The Millennium Centre, an award-winning eco-friendly building which celebrates everything green about the Borough. It is powered by a wind turbine and has many environmentally friendly features including a south facing roof with solar panels to catch the light.  The roof is built primarily from recycled aluminium while the walls are insulated with recycled newspaper.

First Eco Estate in London

The Borough of Barnet will soon be home to a number of eco-friendly homes, boasting state-of-the-art double glazing and a host of additional energy saving measures. 20 existing properties will be transformed into Eco Flats, making Churchmead Close the first eco-estate in the whole of the London borough. Berkeley Crescent, East Barnet, has already been transformed into an eco show home. Barnet residents who want to see the measures they can take to make their homes greener and reduce their energy bills can be inspired here. The house's energy efficiency has increased from 54 per cent to 81 per cent.

Bexley have already:

• successfully bid for funding to replace 3,000 street lights to improve energy efficiency. 

• Organised a clean-up campaign with residents and volunteers to restore a local community estate in Slade Green.

• Agreed a new contract for Street Services and Waste and recycling collections.

Car Clubs

Brent have a number of schemes under way. Three new car clubs have been launched by Brent Council to encourage of people to use eco-friendly transport. The sponsored scheme aims to reduce car ownership and help the environment, offering a way for people to share vehicles through a commercial operator any time and seven days a week

School Recycling Service

A recycling from Schools Service offers all schools in the borough a number of recycling services, including paper, glass, plastic bottle and cans collection service, as well as an organic collection service for the collection of food, cardboard and garden waste and a free compost bin. The council has a team of officers who visit schools and community groups to teach fun and practical ways of reducing, reusing and recycling waste. The team also offer sessions discouraging littering and graffiti.

By doing this they can encourage and assist schools in subscribing to the Eco-Schools international award. Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed these principles into the heart of school life.

Bromley Environmental Awards

Bromley each year holds their own Environment Awards. These recognise and reward local sustainability initiatives that really make a difference to the quality of life in the borough, not only for the current but also for future generations to come. Anyone living a sustainable lifestyle, helping to improve their local community and taking part in a ‘green’ project, have the chance to enter Bromley’s Environment Awards. The categories cover green business, green group, green champion, green household, green school, young environmentalist, green building and gardens

Camden has set up the Small steps scheme. Small Steps is about taking small steps together to make a big difference to the environment. The council believe they need to help reduce the costs of going green and to provide advice on how to do it. It makes it easy to find everything that you need to go green. They also help to reduce the costs of going green in a number of ways, from providing grants to insulating your homes, to funding vouchers for using real nappies

To find out more about the above mentioned assistance, contact the Camden Environmental Health Grants Team on: 020 7974 2090, or visit their website on http://www.camden.gov.uk/living/grantintro.htm.

Helping businesses go green

Croydon supports both schools and businesses to become more green. They have the Eco-Schools Award scheme which helps schools with education on environmental issues and sustainable development. And ENVIBE (ENVIronmental Business Excellence) which encourages all businesses to play their part and realise the benefits of an environmentally sustainable approach.  They provides pointers to get companies started and other valuable guidance and support. A wide range of environmental topics (such as recycling and waste reduction, energy and water saving and green travel) are covered, and a bronze, silver and gold award scheme recognises achievements.

Council Car Pool

The council is also launching a car pool pilot to give staff an environmentally friendly way of travelling on work-related business in the borough. They are now encouraging residents to do the same by participating in a car club scheme.

Free Energy Saving Measures

The council's home improvement agency can arrange a free survey and provide an estimate for loft and cavity wall insulation, and insulation to hot water tanks/cylinders and pipework There are a range of discounts and grants for homeowners or private tenants. If you are in receipt of benefits you are entitled to some free energy-saving measures.

Around the Borough

Enfield Council are currently:

• running a SMART meter installations pilot in 2 primary schools and 10 Council buildings.
• Have a hybrid pool car for staff
• A dual fuel vehicle is now in use in the waste management fleet.
• They have upgraded and renewed four of the main boilers and burner controls at the Civic Centre.
• Recycling bins are now provided in Council buildings.
• Electric car charge points are provided in the borough.
• The lights in the Civic Centre are now sensory operated

Low Emission Zone (LEZ)

Greenwich is the first council in the country to be home to a Low Emission Zone (LEZ), at Greenwich Peninsula. This is an area that has restrictions on the type and age of vehicles permitted in it. By doing this they can control vehicle emissions in the zone by preventing vehicles that emit high levels of pollution from entering and operating within the zone.

Greenwich Tree Replacement Programme

Greenwich has approximately 13,000 street trees in the borough and there is an annual tree replacement programme to replace lost trees and carry out any gap planting.

• Greenwich Council still plan to plant 2012 trees in the Borough in recognition of the Olympic Games. Greenwich Pleasaunce, Blackheath and Greenwich Park, Sutcliffe Park, and Well Hall Pleasaunce have all gained Green Flag Awards due to their high environmental quality, good management and open access to all members of the community.

Capital Clean Up Campaign

Hackney borough has installed new all-in-one recycling bins. The Council has begun introducing new bins that will collect plastic bottles, newspapers, glass, cans and cartons in one end and general waste in the other. By providing these new bins they hope to be showing their commitment to support residents in keeping as much waste as possible away from landfill sites, and continue to help make Hackney a cleaner and greener borough. This is part of their Capital Clean-Up Campaign which aims to create a cleaner London through local action. Londoners are encouraged to get involved in the campaign by making improvements to the local environment, leading to a long term sense of ownership and pride in the area, from which we all benefit.

Eco-shed at Godolphin Road Community Garden

Hammersmith and Fulham have just built and installed their first eco-shed at Godolphin Road Community Garden, Shepherds Bush. It is a completely environmentally friendly building, complete with recycled newspaper insulation and a rubble roof to attract wildlife.

Green Flag Awards

As well as this Ravenscourt Park, Frank Banfield Park, Normand Park and Margravine Cemetery have all scooped coveted green flag awards, putting them on a par with the best parks in the country.

Haringel Design Awards

Haringey have their very own Design Awards 2010. Members of the communty can nominate buildings for the awards that have a particularly unusual design. Points to look out for include whether or not the building features solar panels or any other green innovations. Or does it could simply blend particularly well with its surroundings.

No Excuses Grant

Harrow Borough offer the 'No Excuses' grant, which is aimed at helping residents who are most likely 'fuel poor', improve the energy efficiency of their home by making small changes. The grant is up to £400 maximum and can be used to install energy saving measures or used to enable them to be carried out, e.g. fit a loft hatch so the property can benefit from loft insulation. The No Excuses Grant team can be contacted on 020 8736 6031.

Whitmore High School

Elsewhere Whitmore High School is getting renovated and one ideas which the design team has been considering recently is the use of renewable energy sources for the new school. The design will include a 20% reduction of carbon emissions by the use of renewable energy. Plans include the use of solar water heating and solar electricity as well as ground-source and air-source heat pumps.

JETs Programme

Hillingdon Council and its partners are committed to making the borough a cleaner, greener and safer place. Hillingdon JETs were launched in March 2010, with 15 schools across the borough registered to receive FREE 'Local Environmental Quality' and 'Waste and Recycling' education and support.
By working with schools the JETs programme hopes to influence behavioural change within students and their families in relation to looking after their local environment and recycling their waste.

Against the third runway

As well as this Hillingdonare currently celebrating the victory against a third runway being built at Heathrow. The villages of Sipson, Harmondsworth and Harlington have all been saved from destruction. Many other areas would have been blighted by additional flights, flightpaths and increased traffic. They will soon hold an event to celebrate properly and it is open to everyone, whether you were likely to be directly affected by the Heathrow expansion or concerned about the bigger picture of global climate change.

Eco Schools

Havering Council are part of Eco-Schools, an international environmental award scheme rewarding and accrediting schools that have made a commitment to continuously improving their environmental performance.

The programme encourages whole-school action for the environment, promoting environmental awareness in a way that links to many curriculum subjects. It is also an award scheme that will raise the profile of the school in the wider community. There are nine environmental project areas; water, waste, energy, litter, healthy living, school grounds, biodiversity, transport and global perspective.
The Eco-Schools programme is free and any type of school can join. This includes nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, special schools, children's centres and pupil referral units.

Havering Show

For information on other schemes in the area go along to the The Havering Show over the August Bank Holiday weekend in Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch. It promises to be a great fun day out for the whole family, and admission is free. Planet Havering will once again be providing environmental activities and workshops as well as a solar powered stage.

Electric Cars

Electric vehicle owners can now top up their cars while shopping in thanks to a new scheme by the London Borough of Hounslow. The initiative, which is part of the Treaty Centre’s travel plan, aims to promote sustainable transport to both staff and visitors to the shopping centre. Two further points are already being installed at the BSI building on Chiswick High Road and the Octink business in Brentford. Hounslow is working in partnership with other businesses to promote sustainable transport. Driving an electric vehicle not only makes sense - as they are good for the environment - but you also don't pay any congestion charges.

Islington council really try to encourage residents to get involved in green issues and organise for events to help people do just this. You can discover the advantages of using real cloth nappies, learn about composting and find ways to make the most of leftovers. You can go and see the Energy Dr for free advice on saving energy and money at home, and tips on making your heating system run more efficiently, grants for insulation and renewable energy and be given a free energy saving light bulb to get you started.

You can also visit one of their many parks and their Ecology Centre or Green Living Centre to find out more about getting greener in Islington. These centres were designed with sustainability in mind, including such green features as:

•Wind turbines •Biomass boiler •Water recycling •Passive ventilation and lighting •Water and energy efficiency •Sustainable materials.

Environmental Days

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s often host an Environment Day. The aim of the event is to promote sustainable lifestyle to their local residents and raise awareness on environmental issues. It supports a diverse range of environmental initiatives, from developing school vegetable gardens to transforming neglected open spaces into community resources.

Green Volunteers

They are also recruiting Green’ Volunteers to make a ‘green’ pledge of time, or contribute expertise or a donation to local organisations and community groups that work in and with the environment, to make a realcontribution to creating a more sustainable city for 2012 and beyond, and inspire our residents to feel differently about their neighbourhood community

Kingston Green Guardian Awards

Kingston hosts The Kingston Green Guardian Awards annually celebrating those who have recognised the benefits of going green. The awards recognise and celebrate the efforts individuals, community organisations and businesses are making to reduce their environmental impact and improve our quality of life.

Go Green Plus programme

Businesses in south London can get free advice to help them adopt environmental measures and save them money. The Go Green Plus programme, run by southlondon.biz, offers 12 hours free support and advice to small and medium sized businesses in six local authority areas – Kingston, Lambeth, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth

Ethelred Estate - Britan's largest green roof

Lambeth is home to the Ethelred Estate, the UK's largest green roof project with more than 4,000 square metres of roof space. The green roof is covered in a type of sedum grass instead of traditional flat roof surfacing and attracts wildlife such as birds and insects. It improves air quality and absorbs rain water, so has a role to play in reducing urban flooding.

The Green Community Champions

They also support The Green Community Champions programme which aims to recruit volunteers from across the borough who can help and inspire their neighbourhoods to be more environmentally sustainable. Lambeth will help by providing advice on how to help you and your neighbourhood:

• save energy •cut your water, gas and electricity bills
• reduce waste
• grow your own food
• use green travel
• measure your carbon footprint.

As well as providing you with:

• regular newsletters providing updates on environmental projects happening across Lambeth
• key contacts for networks of existing environmental projects happening in your area and across Lambeth
• help organising events 
• support with fundraising bids and help accessing specialist resources

Government Business Award

Lewisham Council has won a prestigious Government Business Award for its Love Lewisham / Love Clean Streets project. Both help people to share information about their area to improve the environment.

Beacon Status

Lewisham Council was awarded Beacon Status in 2005/06 for its work on sustainable energy, and has a wide variety of programmes aimed at energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.For more advice on installing renewable energy technology and available grants, including up to £500 from Lewisham Council, contact the Sustainable Resources team on Tel: 020 8314 6339, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Big Green Sunday Show

The Wandle Valley Low Carbon Zone put on a Big Green Sunday show weekend of 15th August for residents living in the borough's first Low Carbon Zone - Phipps Bridge and Cherry Tree estates in Mitcham. The event had a cycle theme, encouraging residents to convert from petrol power to pedal power. Merton Council and Transport for London (TfL) funding has also enabled the council to set up its own U Can Cycle Challenge and invest in 60 bicycles

Big Green Sunday also offered residents in Merton's Low Carbon Zone the opportunity to find out more about how to save cash and the climate by cutting their energy consumption at home. Groundwork London's Green Doctors were on hand providing advice on energy efficiency at home, recycling, composting and water use. They prescribed handy tips for making homes more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run, which add up to make a huge difference to the environment.

The surgery is one of 10 planned for the area over the next two years. They are designed to give residents personal support and advice about how to make their home more environmentally-friendly. Two Green Doctors have been recruited and will be visiting homes in the area by appointment to provide free energy saving equipment and advice, which will also save homeowners money and reduce their carbon emissions.

Eco Schools Programme

Newham's school St Antony's have been awarded permanent eco school status with excellence in environmental activityafter they successfully completed four assessments addressing a variety of environmental issues from recycling to Fair Trade. It was the first in the whole of London to achieve this prestigious award

The eco school programme is an international award programme that aims to tackle sustainability issues and brings schools together to explore ways of working on environmental issues.                                                
Newham are trying to promote energy efficiency throughout the borough, by meeting with residents at public events throughout the year and offering advice about saving energy within the home, answering any questions residents may have about saving energy within your home and providing a range of leaflets explaining the grants that are available.

Redbridge's Sustainability Forum

Redbridge's Sustainability Forum brings together government, business, community and voluntary groups, and residents to discuss and drive forward sustainable development in Redbridge. The support of Redbridge residents has been the key to the success of their current Cleaner, Greener Campaign resulting in 31.58 per cent of household waste being recycled.
Thet also take part in Eco-Schools, the international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey.

Ham and Petersham Low Carbon Zone

 This is a project that is being led by Richmond's community making homes warmer, run more efficiently and making the area a greener and better place to live

If you live in the area you can apply to receive:

• A free Home Energy Assessment
• A free 'Starter kit' of energy saving measures worth up to £150
• Grants and interest free loans to help you complete home energy improvements
• Access to a whole host of activities, support, training and community The Eco Team project supports groups of households working as an ‘EcoTeam’ to save energy, reduced waste and cut costs.

Southwark Solar  Reward

One Planet Living

Sutton's plans follow the principles of One Planet Living, a programme developed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Hackbridge based charity, BioRegional to encourage better use of the earth's resources. It has measured that if everyone in the world lived like an average UK resident we would need three planets to sustain the population.

Sutton's One Planet Action Plan sets out how the council will work with local people and organisations to reduce consumption while ensuring people continue to live an excellent quality of life.

Sutton was awarded a green flag on environmental sustainability in its Comprehensive Area Assessment.
By 2025 Hackbridge will be a sustainable suburb based on One Planet Living principles, a suburb where people living, working and visiting are fully aware of their 'ecological footprint' and understand what they can do to reduce it. By striving towards targets for One Planet Sutton such as Zero Carbon Buildings, Sustainable Transport and Zero Waste they will lower the amount of green house gasses which are being  produced and help to tackle climate change.

MRW National Recycling Awards 2010

Tower Hamlets picked up one of the country’s most coveted environment awards – the Local Authority Target Success award at the MRW National Recycling Awards 2010. These awards are recognition of all of the fabulous work going on around the UK to improve recycling and waste management.

Lead councillor for the environment Shahed Ali said: “This is a fantastic achievement and is a testament to the commitment and dedication of Tower Hamlets residents, staff and collection crews.

Once the worst council in the country for recycling they are now one of the fastest improving.

Waltham Forest Go Green Awards

The Waltham Forest Go Green Awards is a new scheme designed to recognise the work that schools and our young people are doing to help tackle climate change and improve the environment they live in. It is a comprehensive environmental award scheme that will not only allow schools to enter but will help prepare schools to enter other environmental awards.

The scheme aims to raise awareness of environmental issues and get children, schools and the wider community to take responsibility and act against climate change and work towards making their environment a better place to live in.

Green Events in Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest advertises their Green events and activities on their website. They currently have permaculture courses on showing people how to live more lightly on the plant as thriving, resilient communities.

Money towards waste reduction

Wandsworth Council is giving away £5,000 annually to any groups in the borough that can demonstrate to residents ways they can reduce waste, cut the consumption of energy or resources, or improve the quality of our local natural environment.

CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme

They are also introducing a new government energy scheme which will require businesses to record their energy use, and make them pay by the tonne for their carbon emissions.Any business using more than 6,000 MWh electricity per year (roughly £500,000-worth) must register with the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme between April and September 2010. As of 2011 the Environment Agency will publish an annual league table of the best and worst performers in the CRC. The most efficient businesses will benefit from financial rewards while penalties will be given to the under-performers.

Westminster Council's Go Green Programme

Sets out how the City Council is leading the way to become a more sustainable city.  The aim of the programme is to re-establish Westminster as an exemplar ‘green’ authority.  It is led by a board of top-tier managers who ensure that all of our services and policies work together to create a more sustainable and liveable city.

Go Green delivers a wide-ranging programme of environmental schemes and projects, and maps out a challenging agenda for the future.

Queens Park Low Carbon Zone

Queen's Park is already a Low Carbon Zone, 1 of 10 in London.  Westminster City Council recently launched a new scheme for residents to borrow electricity monitors. They are a great way to not only learn about how much energy your household uses, but also help you keep an eye on your energy bills at the same time.  Monitoring consumption can also help reduce your bills, lower electricity usage and reduce domestic carbon emissions