What we’re doing

In contributing to a safe climate for current and future generations, we will need to tackle five climate challenges.

Eliminate our emissions from:

• Homes, buildings and energy: how we construct, heat and power our built environment
• Travel: how we move around
• Things we use: what we buy, use, and dispose of in our lifestyles and activities

Protect people and nature through:

• Ecology: making space for nature
• Adapting to climate change: making ourselves resilient to climate changes already underway

We will enable this through:

• Engagement and influence: galvanising our communities and helping them to act
• Finance and decision-making: making every decision support net zero
• Growing the green economy: growing the marketplace of green solutions and delivering green skills and jobs for residents

Cutting across these challenges, the council will work with residents, businesses and partners to deliver this change.

Climate and Ecology Strategy

The following documents make up our strategy, action plan and evidence base for achieving net zero emissions.

 A good place to start is the accessible summary of our Climate and Ecology Strategy (pdf 507KB).

Full strategy

• Climate and Ecology Strategy (pdf 625KB)
• Climate and Ecology Action Plan (pdf 477KB)

Supporting documents

• Engagement and influence plan (pdf 352KB)
• Resident consultation results (pdf 1.01MB)
• Carbon audit update report - January 2021 (pdf 1.75MB)
• H&F's greenhouse gas emissions (pdf 315KB)

The actions we’re taking

The challenge ahead demands bold new thinking and experimentation. Not every action will be successful from the outset. These will continue to be shaped and refined in the open, in collaboration with local residents and organisations. 

• Homes, buildings and energy

  What we’re doing now

  • All council buildings are now powered with 100 per cent renewable electricity
  • Redeveloping the new Civic Campus to be highly energy efficient and fitted with a ground source heat pump
  • Three council non-domestic buildings have been retrofitted with low-carbon heat pumps as at April 2023, including the Macbeth adult learning centre, Masbro Brook Green children's centre, and Age UK activity centre on Greyhound Road
  • Hybrid heat pumps have been installed in 3 communal housing blocks covering 127 homes, with a further 9 homes heated solely by air source heat pump
  • An LED replacement programme has taken place in the council's homes and offices to reduce our energy use
  • The council has provided seed funding to establish a new community benefit society, Hammersmith & Fulham Community Energy (HFCE), and is continuing to support this co-op by identifying council roof space and other assets for community investment in solar panels, and providing technical support
  • Supporting residents to install solar energy at home with free pre-planning advice and schemes like Solar Together H&F
  • Developing planning guidance for residents interested in retrofitting their home

• Travel

  What we’re doing now

  • We've negotiated two new safer cycle routes and continue to support cycling by developing more safe cycling routes and tripling the amount of cycle parking
  • We've introduced fines for idling motorists, launched a pollution-free parcel delivery service and built new 'parklets' in Hammersmith Grove 
  • Reducing traffic, congestion and pollution with our scheme in South Fulham
  • Switching our own council fleet to electric vehicles

• Things we use

  What we’re doing now

  • We’re considering carbon emissions in products and services the council buys
  • We’ve introduced community electrical repair sessions and a Library of Things so residents can repair and borrow, rather than buying new.
  • We’re promoting initiatives like Ready Tech Go to reuse our old computers
  • We’re tackling food waste and educating residents on sustainable food at the Nourish Hub
  • Our school meals provider offers a meat-free day by default, with most schools taking this up
  • We’re piloting a food waste collection service
  • We've introduced recycling services for clothes and electrical goods and increased recycling rates on estates
  • We’ve reduced single use plastics in our own offices since 2019 by providing reusable crockery and cutlery, and dishwashing facilities

• Ecology

  What we’re doing now

  • We've banned the use of glyphosate pesticides and pioneered using grass to reduce roadside pollution
  • Understanding what species exist in the borough through a "biodiversity baseline"
  • Protecting and improving biodiversity through our new grounds maintenance contract
  • Engaging residents with nature and their local green spaces, such as through 'No Mow May', Tiny Forests and inviting residents to grow plants in tree bases
  • The compost we use in our parks is peat-free, and we generate most of our own compost and mulch from recycling green waste
  • Providing developers with biodiversity net gain guidance, helping them ensure that their developments have a positive impact on biodiversity by creating and restoring natural habitat
  • We’re co-producing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for London, which will set out strategic biodiversity priorities and a comprehensive spatial habitat map with London’s strategic Nature Recovery Network
  • These actions are part of H&F’s commitment to biodiversity and statutory Biodiversity Duty

• Adapting to climate change

  What we’re doing now

  • Risk mapping to understand what areas of the borough are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change
  • Installing sustainable urban drainage systems in areas at risk of surface water flooding, such as on Queen Caroline estate and White City estate