Allan Jones's work at Woking Borough Council on energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies and alternative fuels won him the Queen's Award for Enterprise, the first time a local authority has received this accolade. It's no wonder London Mayor Ken Livingstone snapped him up to work for his Climate Change Agency as Chief Executive Officer. Here he speaks to Mel Poluck about the plans of the LCCA, a company owned by the London Development Agency, and the public-private joint venture agency London ESCO, of which he is a director, which aims to develop decentralised energy schemes for London.

Tell us about the LCCA's key low carbon initiatives.

"Our target is to provide 25% of London's energy from decentralised supplies by 2025 and more than 50% by 2050.

"Our flagship projects in terms of our renewable energy programme are the London Transport Museum, LCCA headquarters Palestra House and City Hall [which use energy generated by renewable sources including photo voltaic panels and wind turbines].

"We've also started a project identifying a number of sites to start next year to develop renewable gases and liquid fuels from waste."

Which is the most appropriate renewable energy method for London?

"The waste currently being chucked away is probably our largest renewable energy source. Waste from restaurants could power two million homes. Anaerobic Digestion, pyrolysis you can use for organic waste, and gasification too, which creates a mixed gas called 'syngas.'

"We're concentrating on industrial and commercial waste. We're dealing with that first - municipal waste is more complicated.

"The advantage of [liquid gas energy generation methods] is they're small scale. Incineration is big, it's difficult to make it commercially viable. It's very inefficient. By converting [waste] to gases you get a 100% renewable energy system."

Who in London would such a renewable energy source supply?

"Initially it would apply to new developments. Under the London Plan, you're obliged to include a certain amount of renewable energy for new developments, but not for existing buildings. In the medium to long term, we'll supply existing developments. There's lots of interest out there, but there's nothing like having the legal obligation to make you do things."

In terms of sustainable waste management, how are the London Boroughs doing?

"Local authorities in London haven't really got their act together [with waste sorting]. Organic waste ends up with plastic and card. On the continent, they use a simple method. They simply keep organic waste separate from all other waste. London, let alone the UK, is just not there yet."

How much power does the Mayor of London have in terms of establishing real, long term change?

"There's a Bill going through Parliament granting the Mayor additional powers - under the Climate Change Duty, the Mayor would be obliged to tackle climate change by law. The Mayor's energy strategy is currently non-statutory. If the Mayor's energy policy targets are achieved, they would bring £3.3 billion investment to London."

Does the LCCA offer information and advice to anyone other than London Boroughs?

"On the website we're adding information and advice on technologies. We have briefing notes for developers and anyone who asks. We deal with Universities; we get enquiries from all over the world."

What part does London play in reducing world CO2 emissions?

"If the Mayor's policies were to have any success they would need to have other cities involved to do something about climate change. At the Gleneagles conference, the G20 [was set up to] because 75% of the world's CO2 emissions come from cities. Cities are the best place to tackle climate change.

"We set up the C40 (http://www.lcca.co.uk) - as a group of world cities we've agreed to work together. Not long after we set it up, a number of other world cities wanted to join - last year we were approached by the Clinton Foundation. There is huge potential if the world's cities are doing what we're doing."

What are the biggest challenges you face in your role?

"Technologies are all doable. They have been around for centuries. The most challenging is changing mindsets that are firmly fixed on our centralised energy systems, that were developed in the 1950s and waste two-thirds of energy before it even gets to us. It's changing mindsets of people that are proud of the Grid."

What's next on the LCCA agenda?

"We're working with non-potable water resources. We only drink 2% of water, the rest goes on washing, for example. It's absurd to treat that amount of water. Water can be developed from boreholes; grey water recycling; even from anaerobic digestion. The Elephant and Castle [regeneration] project that Southwark Council is procuring includes a non-potable water system. Southwark is quite advanced.

"Further into the future, we're seeking to completely take out carbon from our energy production. We're going to combine renewable energy with the hydrogen economy. Anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and gasification not only produce liquid gases, but hydrogen gas fuels. What we can use as renewable energy today, we can use as hydrogen tomorrow. If we are to achieve that energy 'nirvana,' you would more than achieve targets for CO2 reduction and you don't need to rely on [the energy supplies] of other countries."

NOTE: To see the Mayor's Climate Change Action Plan go to:
http://www.london.gov.uk

Best Practice Tips

Please visit the Forum here and share a tip that you have for organisations to reduce their carbon emissions. Often the very simplest ideas can have the greatest effect:

• "Put energy saving light bulbs in all your lights: a surprising amount of electricity goes on lighting."
  (from Gregory Luxford, Energy and Utilities Manager, Norwich Union)
  

• "Instead of gas, try using solar water heating - this can reduce your gas bill by up to 70% over a year "
  (from Carbon Footprint (http://www.carbonfootprint.com/)