Sustainability

On average across our residential development portfolio, we're reducing our operational carbon emissions by 54% compared to building regulations - and well in excess of the 35% reduction required by the London Plan.

Two thirds of our residential development projects are planned to exceed a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain uplift with a projected average biodiversity net gain of 130% across all residential projects, helping to support London's urban ecosystems. Our projects are designed to intensively green the urban environment. We have a projected average Urban Greening Factor of 0.4 across our residential development portfolio with 40% of projects exceeding the policy target of 0.4.

Our robust sustainability approach means we are targeting an average Home Quality Mark (HQM) rating of 4.4 Stars across our portfolio, with 44% of our schemes at 4.5 Star - the highest ever level of certification in the UK to date.

Wildflower verges are simply road verges with a different maintenance regime aimed at increasing biodiversity. 

We want to help existing wildflowers in our grass verges to grow and produce new flowers - this will supply nectar and other food resources, plus shelter for wildlife including bees, butterflies, birds and small mammals.

To encourage wildflowers, we've changed the number of times we cut the grass in wildflower verge areas to twice a year, in spring and autumn. This allows wildflowers to grow. We also remove grass cuttings from the full width of the verge. Removing grass cuttings helps wildflowers by reducing soil nutrient levels gradually. This gives them a chance to outcompete the grasses that normally dominate when soil nutrient levels are high.

Since 2019, we've expanded our wildflower verges by 7.4 hectares to almost 13 hectares. and will increase this to 26 hectares in 2024. We also work with boroughs and others to share knowledge on different ways of managing wildflower verges.

Our work to become a more sustainable organisation includes improving our knowledge about how to reduce our carbon consumption and emissions. This is done through peer-led, accredited training. 
Thousands of people at TfL and Places for London have completed a dedicated Carbon Literacy training to improve our understanding of how we can all play our part to make our organisation, city and planet more green and sustainable. In 2024 the Carbon Literacy Project named TfL a Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation and gave us a Catalyst Award for our level of ambition and achievement as part of the Carbon Literacy Action Day during COP28. We're one of only 3 organisations globally to receive this award.