Net Zero Transition Lambeth

The project will undertake a feasibility study in the London borough of Lambeth, in partnership with key stakeholders, to accelerate the transition to net zero by testing innovative approaches to unlocking non-technical systemic barriers.

Similar Council approaches have focused on modal shifts without a joined-up approach, limiting their impact. In order to achieve the necessary scale required, this project focuses on delivering a holistic neighbourhood approach to address building typology and stakeholder challenges. This will unlock the latent capacities already within our communities.

Lambeth has assembled a unique set of partners and subcontractors to create a local net-zero systems framework using modern data (LSBU), based on community/grounded projects in Lambeth (Repowering London), validated against monitored data (BSRIA), generalisable into a borough-wide strategy (Parity Projects), and maximising the impact for the local economy and supply chains (Sustainable Ventures). Lambeth has the largest UK cluster of sustainable businesses based at Sustainable Ventures offices, to boost its low carbon economy, one of its priority growth sectors.

Lambeth Council's goal is to be net-zero compatible by 2030\. Successful pilots have been established, but non-technical barriers have prevented a sustainable and scalable systems-approach. This project is to scope and implement an area-based approach to net zero systems-change across heat, power, mobility and product manufacture, across:

1. Infrastructure: Create a sustainable and replicable net-zero infrastructure delivery model using an area-based approach across: buildings, transport, business, services.
2. Finance: Use a 'green neighbourhoods as a service' model to address fragmentation in financing and deliver economies of scale.
3. People: A communication strategy for how the net zero transition will benefit how people live and work in Lambeth. A framework to grow knowledge/skills levels and understand local views to feed back into infrastructure plans.
4. Data: Create a sector-leading approach to modern data to link all objectives. Allowing technologies and systems to collaborate without boundaries and improve knowledge/information/data (KID) flow within the supply chain.

No existing tool connects Local Area Energy Planning to socio-economic priorities in urban areas, or to community priorities at neighbourhood level. Nor do they specifically address the challenges of retrofitting multi-storey buildings, which is a big problem in Lambeth.

This integrated approach will reduce the cost of National Grid's underground network reinforcement works (and waste heat from cable cooling) in Lambeth to local district heating schemes. EV charging infrastructure and community car clubs could be incorporated into engagement and retrofit strategies, and linked to Lambeth's transport strategy.