London needs a breath of fresh air to help us out of recession

Dear Ed, THE Mayor of London calculates we need �60bn invested in the next 15 years for London to play its part in tackling climate change, the biggest challenge facing the planet. We also need investment to tackle serious air pollution

Dear Ed,

THE Mayor of London has calculated that we need �60 billion from public and private sources to be invested in the next 15 years for London to play its part in tackling climate change, the biggest environmental challenge facing the planet.

London also needs several hundred million in the next few years to tackle the serious air pollution. This kind of money was found to bail out the banks and we have to act with equal urgency to save the planet.

Building and refurbishing homes and workplaces to the most energy efficient standards, and developing local secure energy supplies, would create a wider variety of jobs than subsidies to bank bonuses. This would include many new jobs for plumbers, builders and engineers.

Investment in this kind of infrastructure will be rewarded in future years through lower energy prices and reliable supplies.

This is the kind of investment which can help bring us out of recession. So I will be pushing the Mayor to lobby hard for London to receive the finance it needs.

Darren Johnson (Green Party)

London Assembly

City Hall, Queens Walk