The Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the council's progress on its net-zero carbon and climate action targets, and to review strategies for adapting the borough's buildings to extreme heat. The committee also received an update on network management within Islington.

Bi-Yearly Report on Net Zero Carbon and Climate Action

The committee received a comprehensive report detailing the council's Climate Action Programme between 1 October 2025 and 31 March 2026. Overall borough greenhouse gas emissions have shown a clear decreasing trend, falling from 817.5 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2018 to 597.2 in 2023, a reduction of 26.9%. This progress is attributed to various interventions, including grid decarbonisation and transport policies. However, gas emissions remain the largest contributor to the borough's emissions at 41%, with electricity at 29% and transport at 17%.

Significant progress has been made in decarbonising council homes, with projects underway at Harvest Estate and Brunswick Estate. The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 has seen physical works completed for 252 properties. Corporate building emissions have also fallen, with improvements made to building management systems in 14 buildings.

In the private sector, the council awarded nine additional small business grants and five further large grants for energy efficiency improvements. Transport initiatives include work on liveable neighbourhoods, cycle training for over 2,900 children and adults, and air quality awareness campaigns. The council is also working to transition its fleet to electric vehicles, adding 14 new electric vehicles and installing 47 on-street fast charging points. Community greening efforts have resulted in 778 square metres of additional green space during the reporting period, contributing to the council's aim to increase tree canopy cover.

Discussions highlighted concerns regarding the pace of private building retrofit, particularly in conservation areas, and the challenges faced by planning teams in balancing overheating considerations with heritage protection. The committee also sought clarification on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used to monitor progress and discussed the council's lobbying efforts with Transport for London (TfL) regarding transport infrastructure. Fly-tipping incidents were noted, with analysis requested on comparisons with other London boroughs and the cost of bulky waste collections. Data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was also requested. The committee was assured that road danger reduction is a high priority across all programmes.

Adapting Islington's Buildings to Extreme Heat

The committee discussed the council's approach to adapting Islington's buildings to extreme heat, building on lessons learned from the summer of 2026. The report highlighted that heat resilience depends on the interplay between buildings, people, and services. While strong foundations exist, including practical service adaptations and public health expertise, there are identified gaps in having a predictable annual model, fragmented evidence, and reactive responses.

In housing, the council is supporting communities with heatwave advice, improving understanding of risk through modelling and post-occupancy evaluations, and future-proofing homes through retrofit and planning guidance. Harvist Estate modelling identified 18% of dwellings at risk of overheating. For council housing, the direction of travel is to combine property and resident evidence to identify priority homes and estates for practical measures and investment. Supported accommodation, such as Rosehip House, is also being assessed for heat resilience, with recommendations for resident advice and building improvements.

For schools, the approach considers building types, outdoor spaces, and pupil demographics, with opportunities to test temperature monitoring and improve shade. Leisure and corporate buildings, like Cally Pool and the Ecology Centre, are also being assessed for heat resilience measures. The committee heard about the learning from new build housing, with a focus on post-occupancy evaluation data to inform future designs and improvements.

Key gaps identified include a lack of a shared view on the buildings and homes most at risk, insufficient scale in physical adaptations like external shading and ventilation, and uneven understanding of heat-specific issues across the organisation. The need for a properly funded, consistent, and targeted programme was emphasised. Next steps include agreeing pilot scope and resources to build a targeted overheating programme, using existing evidence to inform future support and investment.

Discussions also touched upon the challenges of securing adequate funding for adaptation measures, the role of schools in managing extreme heat, and the potential for integrating air conditioning powered by solar PV. The committee also explored the complexities of planning regulations, particularly in conservation areas, and the need for greater pragmatism in allowing external shading. The potential for including extreme heat mitigation measures within landlord licensing was also raised.

Network Management in Islington

The committee received an overview of network management in Islington, focusing on the coordination and management of roadworks. Utility companies and Islington's own contractors have statutory rights to carry out works under the New Roads and Streetworks Act (NRswa). The report detailed the different categories of works: immediate, minor, standard, and major, highlighting the challenges posed by immediate works, which require notification only two hours after commencement.

The council manages these works through a permit system, with over 21,000 applications processed in the period April 2025 to March 2026, equating to approximately 7,500 pieces of work. Thames Water was identified as the largest applicant for immediate works, accounting for 45% of such applications. The committee discussed the stringent criteria for permit approval, including location, duration, traffic management plans, and working hours.

The Aurora works management system is used to coordinate works and assess traffic management plans, with a rigorous review process to ensure the best possible outcome for the network. Penalties are in place for overruns, with substantial fines for works exceeding their permitted duration. Public information is available through the One Road Network website, which allows residents to view permitted works.

Discussions focused on the high number of immediate permit applications, particularly from Thames Water, and the effectiveness of penalties for overruns. The committee also raised concerns about the differing approaches to managing cyclists during roadworks, citing examples at Middleton Square and Highbury Grove. The council acknowledged the challenge of balancing network management with the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, particularly for those who rely on cycles as mobility aids. The team committed to taking away these concerns for further consideration.

The committee also noted the work programme, with a request to invite Transport for London (TfL) to a future meeting to update on their planned works, particularly concerning asset maintenance and station issues.