Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled London's first ever heat plan, titled Heat Ready London, which includes 37 measures to protect residents during increasingly frequent heatwaves. The plan focuses on six key sectors: built environment, business and economy, emergency preparedness, resilience and response, health and care, green space and nature, and infrastructure.
Objectives and priority areas
The plan sets out objectives such as protecting Londoners from health impacts of rising temperatures, prioritizing vulnerable people in high-risk areas, ensuring buildings and green spaces are adapted to heat and provide shade, maintaining essential services, and supporting economic resilience. Key focus areas include expanding access to cooling spaces and public drinking water, adapting high-risk homes, expanding access to blue spaces, strengthening health and care system resilience, and improving resilience of critical infrastructure like travel.
The plan comes as the UK recorded its hottest ever June day, with provisional temperatures reaching 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, on Wednesday. A study of London's 2022 heatwaves, which informed the plan, found that extreme weather that year cost the city £1.5 billion. Further analysis indicated that around one million homes in London may currently be at high risk of overheating, with more than 1,300 schools, 60 hospitals, and 351 care homes located in high heat risk areas.
Mayor's call to action
Sir Sadiq Khan said: "Rising temperatures are no longer a future threat – they are becoming a growing reality for Londoners. It is affecting our communities, from homes and high streets to schools, hospitals and care services. That is why I am proud to unveil Heat Ready London, London's first ever heat plan. This is a new vision that will help tackle the huge obstacles we face with rising temperatures." He added that the plan is "a call to action to our partners to use this framework to drive collective delivery so we can protect lives and strengthen the resilience of our city."
Sir Sadiq emphasized: "We must act now. By working in partnership, we can ensure the benefits of climate action are shared by all Londoners and that those who are most vulnerable are protected as we build a greener and fairer London for everyone."
Support from key partners
London fire commissioner Jonathan Smith said: "Extreme heat is no longer an occasional challenge, it's becoming an increasingly regular risk for London, as demonstrated just this week. Responding to this challenge requires a joint effort from the public and organisations across London, including taking steps in advance to prevent or minimise the harm and damage caused."
The plan was launched during London Climate Action Week, described as the largest independent climate event in Europe. Lilli Matson, chief safety, health and environment officer at Transport for London, said: "This report highlights the increasing risks that extreme heat poses across London, including to critical infrastructure such as transport. The ongoing heatwave has underlined the importance of preparing for such conditions and their real-world impact on customers, staff and the transport network."
