The best eco friendly boroughs in Greater London

If you're concerned about the environment and are keen to move to somewhere greener in London, you're reading the right blog!

London is aiming to be zero-carbon by 2050 - that's not far away. The strategy, created by Mayor Sadiq Khan, consists of greener streets, safer cycling culture, accessible public transport and cleaner construction.

London have gone above and beyond to reach the goal of having zero carbon admissions by 2050. Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged they will cut up to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to reach the eco-friendly goal they have targeted to achieve. Currently London is far off this goal, however this doesn't mean all of London is currently not green.

London has some outstanding eco-friendly boroughs to visit and live in, here we will answer all your questions on the best places to live in London and more.

What are the Greenest Boroughs in London?

Before we list off the most eco-friendly and green places to live in Greater London, we need to go through what are the important factors we should take into consideration when deciding what makes a borough green to live in. The world's largest commercial estate agency, CBRE, ranks London boroughs on how eco-friendly they are using 4 factors:

• Proportion of household waste composted or recycled

• Adoption of electric vehicles

• Renewable energy installation

• Environmental initiatives spend

Here is a list of London's top 10 eco-friendly boroughs rated on the above factors:

1. Ealing

2. Bromley

3. Croydon

4. Richmond

5. Hillingdon

6. Barnet

7. Sutton

8. Bexley

9. Havering

10. Harrow

What to look for when choosing a green area

There's a few factors you can consider if you're looking to make your life in your new borough as green as it can be. Take a look at public transport links in the area, as well as safe cycle routes and walkways. Are there enough options here to enable you to get around without your own vehicle?

Research what green space is nearby, and how much wildlife this attracts. You can look for green spaces on maps online, for example is there a park nearby?

When looking at a property itself, consider if it was built using clean construction methods, and how well insulated it is. You can increase insulation in your home through thickening the layer of insulation in your attic (if you have one).

How much of London is green space?

London is consistently aiming to become a more environmentally friendly place day by day. London currently has over 3000 parks that can be found scattered all around the city, so much that 18% of Greater London is covered by green spaces to help improve the quality of life and the environment.

Major Sadiq Khan's plan looks to improve on that 18% and by 2050 wants it to have at least 50% of its area to be designated green space to help improve London's footprint on the world.

Why Ealing is London's Greenest Borough to Live in

London's most green and eco-friendly borough is Ealing.

Biodiversity increase is the main reason why Ealing has come up top of the eco-friendly boroughs in London. Ealing council have put efforts in to grow wildflowers and long grass. These encourage voles and field mice, which then attract owls as they are their prey. To help Tawny, Barn, and Little owls, nesting boxes have been set up.

Named the Greenford-Gurnell Greenway project and costing £1 million, it will improve 44 acres of parkland. Along with this, air quality will improve, flood risk will drop and water quality will increase thanks to the introduction of reed beds, wetlands, meadows, woodland and orchards.

Recycling is another factor allowing Ealing to take top place. Ealing recycles half its household waste and is hoping to increase this to two thirds in the coming years. The food waste collected is converted into electricity for homes and fertiliser for farms. On top of that Ealing has the some of the perfect natural areas for wildlife to thrive, with reed beds, wetlands and more that improve the quality of the environment.

Why Croydon is one of the most eco-friendly place to live in Greater London

Believe it or not, concrete production accounts for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Modular construction of homes in factories is on the rise to cut these emissions. Construction time is reduced as are the number of lorries going to and from the construction site.

In Croydon, the world's tallest modular tower called George Street is going to be built. Located near East Croydon station, it will be 44 storeys high and its purpose is for rental accommodation.

Furthermore, Croydon council's development arm, Brick by Brick, are selling new homes made of more natural materials like timber frames.