Transport for London (TfL) has announced a new Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Plan as part of its ongoing efforts to become a strong green hub for London.
The plan is fully aligned with TfL’s Corporate Environment Plan, published in 2021, and sets out how TfL will improve and care for green infrastructure and biodiversity across its sites and network. I am. It brings together in one place for the first time the existing relevant objectives, legal requirements and policy commitments, while also setting out the strategic actions TfL will take to deliver them. The plan has been developed following extensive engagement within and outside TfL, including London boroughs.
This new plan will ensure TfL delivers on a range of commitments to further strengthen and support green infrastructure and biodiversity across London, including:
- Achieve a biodiversity net gain of 10 per cent from February 2024 onwards for applicable schemes (such as systems projects and nationally important infrastructure project plans).
- Delivering net biodiversity gains across TfL’s sites by 2030 compared to the 2018 biodiversity baseline map
- Increase tree canopy cover across TfL by 10% by 2050 compared to 2016 baseline
- Long-term plans to double wildflower area to 260,000 square meters in 2024 and continue to introduce them across London
- Ensure that 5,000 square meters of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), such as rain gardens, are installed on TfL’s road network each year
- Further reduce the use of pesticides across TfL and eliminate where operationally and financially possible
Almost a third of TfL’s land, one of London’s largest landowners with more than 2,300 hectares of land across the capital, is covered in vegetation. This includes land intersecting two Special Areas of Protection, six Areas of Special Scientific Interest, eight Local Nature Reserves and 139 areas of conservation importance. From woodlands to wetlands, TfL’s diverse habitats include over 1,000 species, including around 700 species of plants from across London, as well as a variety of butterflies and eight species of bats in the disused railway tunnels of Highgate. Animals live there. Many of the species found on or near TfL properties are legally protected, so it’s important to protect their habitat.
In 2022, TfL became the UK’s first transport provider to carry out natural capital accounting for its properties in accordance with the high standards of the Natural Capital Protocol and associated UK Standards. The accounts found that monetizable profits from TfL’s natural capital assets now have an estimated total asset value of £328m. Although this is an important figure, it is still likely to be an underestimate, and TfL is currently planning a range of biodiversity research and innovation projects to fill data gaps and improve future accounts. doing.
Using this information, TfL will be able to make better decisions about how to manage green infrastructure and increase biodiversity. TfL plans to double the area of wildflower fields along the TfL road network to 260,000 square meters in 2024. It will also explore potential ways to further increase biodiversity at these sites, which already host 17 different butterfly species, five of which are London Priority Species. seed. TfL is also on track to meet its commitment to install an additional 5,000 square meters of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), such as rain gardens, on its road network each year. These nature-based solutions not only support biodiversity, but also help reduce the risk of flooding from storms.
TfL says it is also on track to increase the overall number of street trees on land by 1% each year across London from 2016 to 2025. TfL plans to strategically increase tree canopy across its estate by 10% by 2050. The tree canopy not only provides shelter from the sun, but also provides habitat for birds and wildlife.
The health of soils across London can impact their ability to hold or drain water and support particular habitats. The plan outlines ways to protect soil on TfL land from degradation and contamination and reduce the need for additional resources such as fertilizer and compost. TfL also plans to eliminate the use of pesticides where operationally and financially possible, and has already reduced the use of glyphosate on highways by 70% in recent years.
As well as helping to protect, connect and enhance greenery and tree canopy across its properties, TfL also plays a key role in helping to make other green spaces, such as parks and recreation areas, accessible to the public. Masu. Providing access to sustainable travel helps reduce social and environmental inequalities. Therefore, to inform this work, TfL will map sustainable travel access to London’s green spaces in relation to socio-economic factors by the end of 2025. This will help inform and inform future investment decisions. We provide clear and easy access to green spaces across the city for people walking, cycling and using public transport.
Lily Matson, Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer at Transport for London, said: “As one of London’s largest landowners, TfL has an extensive network of green corridors, from tree-lined streets to railway-side woodlands. Together, these are important in linking London’s green spaces for wildlife. play a role.
“Our new green infrastructure and biodiversity plan is part of our ongoing commitment to creating greener, more biodiverse cities that are more resilient to climate change. By reducing our impact on the environment and offering a range of sustainable ways to get around London, we can use our real estate and infrastructure to create cities where people and wildlife can thrive. Masu.”
Steve Bolton, Butterfly Conservation’s Big City Butterflies project director, said: “Butterfly Conservation welcomes TfL’s commitment to restoring biodiversity and strengthening green infrastructure. We have supported the expansion of wildflower edge trails by advising on planting plans. Improving biodiversity data, habitat quality and connectivity will support butterfly and moth recovery. It will thrive in urban environments and be enjoyed by everyone.”
Becky Garden, Head of Partnerships at Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL), said: Environmental protection. By providing comprehensive data insights into biodiversity and London’s outdoor spaces, GiGL has enabled TfL to drive plans that benefit the wellbeing of people and nature alike. The collaborative effort between TfL and his GiGL will facilitate the flow of data across London, from collection to use in decision-making, just as TfL has partnered with GiGL for many years. ”
The publication of TfL’s Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Plan is just part of TfL’s wider work to drive sustainability across London and become the city’s strong green heartbeat. TfL is investing in further decarbonisation of its operations, including the transition of support vehicles and buses. We plan to have a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2034, and with government funding this could be accelerated to 2030. This will dramatically increase the potential for new production models and help transform the UK bus industry.
TfL is developing a range of projects to improve energy efficiency and identify opportunities to generate renewable energy across the site, as well as removing fossil fuels from across the building site. Efforts are underway to procure power purchase agreements as part of TfL’s wider aim to use 100% renewable-sourced electricity across its operations by 2030.
TfL is also converting lighting in stations, bus stops and trains across London to LED lighting, which uses up to 60% less energy and provides around 10% brighter light than traditional lighting. More than a third of Tube stations across London have now been converted to LED lighting, and TfL expects all bus stops, including those used in advertising panels, to be converted to LED lighting soon.
For more information, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/biodiversity.
