The Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee of Islington Council met on Tuesday 10 March 2026 to discuss the council's progress on climate action and resilience. The meeting featured presentations from council officers and community partners, highlighting achievements in decarbonisation, energy efficiency, green spaces, transport, and community engagement. Key discussions included the challenges and opportunities in scaling up community-led climate initiatives and the council's ongoing commitment to a greener future for the borough.

Climate Action and Resilience in Islington

The meeting provided an overview of Islington Council's climate action efforts over the past year, with a particular focus on strengthening partnerships with local communities and organisations. Councillor Ruth Hayes, Chair of the Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee, opened the meeting by acknowledging the council's declaration of a climate emergency in June 2019 and the committee's role in scrutinising the council's actions. Councillor O'Halloran, Leader of the Council, emphasised that climate action is central to many council services, aiming to ensure residents have comfortable homes, clean air, green spaces, and affordable fuel bills. Councillor Champion, Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport, highlighted the importance of community involvement and the success of initiatives like the Islington Climate Panel. Victoria Lawson, Chief Executive, provided context on the broader London and national efforts in climate action and investment.

Food Growing and Food Poverty

Andrew Bedford, Assistant Director for Green and More Active, outlined the council's efforts to support community food growing. This includes unlocking land for allotments, embedding food growing into planning and estate management, and working with community-led projects like Growing Communities and Octopus Community Network. This approach is part of the borough-wide food strategy, recognised nationally through the Good Food Local Programme, which views food growing as both a climate and public health intervention. The council also recently supported the People's Assembly on Food, organised by the Islington Climate Centre, to further integrate food growing into communities.

Community Energy and Decarbonisation

Wayne Stevenson, Corporate Director of Environment and Climate Change, discussed the opportunities in community energy. The borough has completed its energy plan, providing a clear picture of investment needs. Islington is actively involved in a London-wide energy mission with the GLA and other councils, aiming to leverage funding and explore community energy options. Councillor Champion noted the government's priorities, including heat networks and community energy, and highlighted the council's ongoing work with community energy groups like Power Up North London.

Tree Watering and Drought Resilience

Councillor Caroline Russell raised concerns about watering trees during drought periods, given Islington's significant tree canopy. Andrew Bedford explained that the council is focusing on careful species selection for long-term tree health and uses watering bags to facilitate community involvement in watering. Communication campaigns during extreme weather encourage residents to water trees, and the council waters trees for the first three years to establish them, with a planting guarantee in place.

Housing Development and Green Space Protection

Skiba Good, Head of Planning Policy and Viability, addressed the challenge of meeting housing targets without encroaching on green space. She explained that designated public open space is strongly protected, and development would only occur in exceptional circumstances. For open spaces on housing estates, rigorous criteria are applied, prioritising the utilisation of parking spaces and re-organising open spaces to improve their quality and connectivity, even if the quantity is reduced.

Car-Free Policies and the Withdrawal of Zipcar

Councillor Caroline Russell inquired about the council's position on car-free policies following the withdrawal of Zipcar. Wayne Stevenson acknowledged the situation as a pan-London crisis and confirmed that boroughs are coordinating to find replacements. Discussions are ongoing with companies like Enterprise, and the council is working with Transport for London and other boroughs to develop a strategic approach to car-sharing services.

Housing Need and Social Housing Capacity

Chris Proctor questioned the council's master planning for available sites and its capacity to build the required 750 social homes per year. Skiba Good stated that the council, like most local authorities, is not meeting the full housing need due to its endless nature. However, the council continuously identifies sites, including disused buildings and small plots of land, and is not prioritising open spaces for development. She highlighted the significant development at the former Holloway Prison site, delivering 1,000 homes, including 600 affordable ones, as a successful example. Councillor Champion added that the council is exploring various avenues to increase housing stock, including bringing back Right to Buy properties and tackling subletting, alongside building new homes.

Decarbonisation of Housing Estates

Jana Rock asked about the council's plans for decarbonising housing estates and transitioning to renewable energies. Sarah Hitchcock, Head of Climate Action, explained that significant projects are underway, including installing energy centres and retrofitting properties with external wall insulation, new heating, and windows. The main challenge is the cost, and the council is working to maximise available funding. Wayne Stevenson mentioned the expansion of heat networks, particularly in partnership with the government, and the exploration of new investment models. Councillor Champion emphasised the importance of fabric first approaches and the potential for reforming the energy market to reduce electricity costs.

London Community Resilience Toolkit

Millie Williamson presented the London Community Resilience Toolkit, designed to help communities develop emergency plans and strengthen local action. She highlighted that resilience starts at the community level and that the toolkit provides practical, step-by-step resources for faith groups, community centres, and resident networks. The toolkit addresses various risks, including heatwaves and floods, and aims to build partnerships and a shared language for emergency preparedness. Voluntary Action Islington is leading the development of three community emergency plans in Islington.

Islington Climate Panel

Courtney Stevenson discussed the Islington Climate Panel, a group of 35 residents who worked to define what a climate-resilient Islington looks like. The panel focused on greening the borough and community resilience. An update on progress revealed the mapping of cool spaces for residents during heatwaves and the development of a pilot prayer space. A climate panelist, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their experience of gaining confidence and knowledge through the panel, enabling them to advocate for climate action.

Community-Led Projects and Scaling Up

During a Q&A session, panelists discussed the barriers to scaling up community-led projects. Tanuja Pandit of Power Up North London identified a lack of core resources for staffing and the challenges faced by community organisations themselves. Pavel from Islington Fixers highlighted the struggle with staffing, reliance on volunteers, and the lack of a permanent venue. Damien from The Felix Project pointed to the need for infrastructure to distribute surplus food more effectively and a shift from being passive consumers to active participants in the food system.

Power Up North London

Tanuja Pandit, CEO of Power Up North London, presented their work in supporting public buildings like schools and community centres to decarbonise through renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures. The organisation also advocates for residents struggling with energy bills and offers foundation energy skills courses. Power Up North London has delivered over 40 projects, primarily in Islington and Camden, and has raised over £1 million in funding. They are seeking to scale up their work through increased staffing, strengthened partnerships, clearer messaging, and grant funding.

Islington Fixers

Pavel, representing Islington Fixers, explained the group's mission to help residents repair electrical items for free, addressing the growing waste stream of electronics. The initiative, born from London Repair Week, has organised 23 events, engaging nearly 600 people and repairing over a third of items brought to them. They rely heavily on volunteers and free venues and are seeking a permanent space to expand their services and collaborate with other repair organisations.

Octopus Community Network

Julie Parrish of Octopus Community Network discussed their 26-year partnership with Islington Council, focusing on urban growing programmes. The Nature Neighbourhoods project, in collaboration with organisations like the National Trust, aims to empower communities to take action on nature and climate. They are developing Nature Anchors through community centres to support community-led green spaces, building on the framework from the Nature Neighbourhoods programme in Tufnell Park.

The Felix Project

Damien from The Felix Project, a surplus food charity, highlighted their work in redistributing food to vulnerable residents in Islington, preventing millions of meals from going to waste and saving residents significant amounts of money. He emphasised the link between food systems, climate change, and public health, noting the rising food prices and potential scarcity due to climate change. The Felix Project advocates for connecting to markets, collectivising buying power, and building local food infrastructure to ensure food resilience.

Refresh of the Climate Action Plan

Councillor Champion announced that Islington's Climate Action Plan is due for a refresh. Officers have been engaging with residents and organisations for feedback, and a draft plan will be released for consultation later in the year. She encouraged broad participation and ideas on how to engage communities that might not typically contribute to such consultations.

Future Information and Engagement

Councillor Hayes concluded by thanking all participants and highlighting the wealth of community involvement in practical change. She encouraged attendees to look out for follow-up emails with answers to unanswered questions, information on the climate action plan survey, and details on other initiatives, such as the new food waste recycling services for flats above shops. A QR code was available for feedback on the event.