Welcome to the first edition of the Sustainable City Charter newsletter.

In our inaugural newsletter we are sharing an update on the Charter, related news, an interview with John Davies, Chair of the Charter Steering Committee and a spotlight from signatory Veolia. We will be celebrating achievements as well as keeping you informed about everything going on in our Charter network.

If there is anything you would like to see featured, or if your company would like to make a guest contribution, please get in touch with one of the team here. 

Thank you for reading and we hope you enjoy!

Image of The Forge; Group picture of the participants of the walking tour

Sustainable City Charter news

Research into new toolkit for signatories is complete

Centre for London, London’s think tank and research body, has been commissioned to undertake research into the barriers and challenges among businesses, particularly SMEs, to reducing operational carbon emissions to help shape a new Sustainable City Charter toolkit, the Charter programme and any additional support and initiatives.

The toolkit could help your business reduce carbon emissions, cut down on energy costs and get ahead of EPC legislation. Thank you to everyone who either filled out the survey, joined a workshop, or took part in an interview. The research findings will support the development of the toolkit over the coming months.  

New sign ups announced

The Langham Estate is the latest signatory to the Sustainable City Charter closely followed by St. Christopher’s Place Estate, Knight Frank, Christie’s, Simone de Gale Architects and Royal Society of Arts. There are now 47 signatories and a further 70 expressions of interest.

Richard Hillyard, Head of Sustainability at The Langham Estate has said:

“The Langham Estate has been making major strides towards our net zero ambitions, and participating in Westminster City Council’s Sustainable City Charter is a public commitment to this work. Being part of the charter is an opportunity to collaborate with other businesses and organisations across the West End in our collective goal towards ensuring a safer and more sustainable city.” 

Landsec hosts knowledge sharing session at its first net zero carbon office

Over 20 signatories attended a site visit of Landsec’s The Forge in the summer. The Forge is the first net zero carbon office development to be constructed and operated in line with the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)’s framework definition of net zero carbon buildings.

The visit to The Forge included a welcome from Stuart Mee (the then Sustainability Director at Landsec) and a presentation and tour led by Neil Pennell (Head of Design Innovation and Property Solutions, Landsec). You can read the full event write up here.

If you would like to showcase a building or have any suggestions for future topics as part of our knowledge-sharing events and site visits then please get in touch with us at climateemergency@westminster.gov.uk.

Experts in sustainable procurement provide insight into best practice

Signatories have attended a Sustainable City Charter webinar on procurement; featuring two presentations, one from Natalie Evans (Head of Responsible Procurement & Supplier Relationship Management, Westminster City Council) focusing on Power Purchase Agreements and another Ben Holmes (Associate, Elliott Wood) who spoke on sustainable construction practices and materials. You can view their respective presentations here and here.

Signatory Grosvenor achieves 32% reduction in reported emissions

The results were announced in the company’s latest Net Zero Carbon Pathway Report which also listed a 16% reduction in overall emissions and a 46% reduction in supply chain emissions. Read more here.

Building sector emissions must fall by about 50% from their 2022 level

The World Green Building Council in their Breakthrough Agenda Report 2023 have shown that emissions within the building sector have grown at an average of 1% since 2015 and that stronger cooperation is needed to keep climate goals within reach. Read more here.

UKGBC launches report to unlock financing for biodiversity at scale

The report explores key funding avenues for industry projects and stresses the need for financing Biodiversity Net Gain. Read more here. 

Westminster declares ecological emergency 

The announcement recognises the effects of climate change on the natural environment and commits the City Council to deliver further action to protect wildlife and improve biodiversity.  Read more here.  

"The charter is key in finding solutions to a common problem - the climate emergency - which we all have a responsibility to do our bit to resolve... Bringing that collective knowledge and experience together is powerful. Not one organisation can hold all of the keys on this."

In our first signatory spotlight, James Mason, Sustainable Development Manager at Veolia (a waste, water and energy management service) discusses what the Charter means to their business and what Veolia are doing to help reduce emissions in Westminster including:

• UK's largest electric refuse collection fleet
• Switching all of our lighting to LED lightbulbs
• Rollout of solar panels to all sites across Westminster

Find out more about the great work that Veolia is doing to reach Net Zero by 2040 by reading the blog below. 

Signatory events

Waste & Circular Economy webinar

In the latest webinar for signatories, Veolia's Sustainable Development Manager, James Mason  will present on key policy and legislation around recycling and waste. This will be followed by a case study from Sustainability Manager Zanda Pipira at Derwent London. Organisations will also come away with an understanding on the importance of implementing circular economy principles and simple steps to make your business more sustainable. Sign up here. 

Date: 28 November

Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Venue: Online

Save the date! Sustainability workshops and networking in 2024

Harley Street BID are coordinating four workshops to take place in 2024. The sessions will focus on how your business can decarbonise, and each workshop will cover a separate topic including: key points for your strategy, legal considerations, council and broader sustainability. 

The first workshop will kick off on Wednesday 24 January 2024, and will be followed by a networking session with drinks. Make sure to save the date and we'll be in touch with more information in due course.

Partner events and opportunities

Sustainability in business: Support for net zero heroes

Join Heart of the City for a free webinar designed for anyone working in a small and medium sized organisation and will provide practical actions to help you and your business reach Net Zero. Find our more here.

Date: 22 November

Time: 10am

Venue: Online 

The Charter is a partnership between the business community and Westminster to ensure it becomes a Net Zero City by 2040. Please let us know if you can get involved, including:

• Hosting or sharing your insight and knowledge at an event or webinar
• Hosting a networking session for signatories to come together and exchange ideas
• Work with us to capture your experiences in a blog, video or other content
• Sharing your expertise with the Sustainable City Charter Technical working group
• Tell us what you want to hear more on

You can reach out to us with your ideas, feedback and how you want to get involved here.