Council climate action and emissions summary 2022-23

Transport accounts for 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in Kingston and that in order to meet net zero goals, improve air quality and health, a shift in how people get around the borough, with far less reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles will be needed. 

Kingston Council is leading the way on sustainable transport as one of two boroughs working on the ‘London Councils Low Carbon Transport Programme’, supporting action across the capital. Alongside the City of Westminster, the council commissioned a study to understand what specific action is required in the boroughs to meet net zero goals. 

This study will inform decision making going forwards and help to evidence the need for change and additional action to meet the borough’s climate targets while improving air quality and improving health outcomes.

Did you know that Kingston has over 13km of two-way cycle paths? 

To make cycling even more convenient across Kingston borough, work has been ongoing to get more people cycling by delivering cycle training, installing cycle hangers and by working with Human Forest to introduce a trial dockless e-bike service. Since their introduction on Car Free Day in September 2022, users have made over 19,000 journeys and travelled over 44,000 miles.

Kingston is part of the world-wide School Streets initiative to help keep children and their families safe by limiting motor vehicle access around the school gates at school start and finish times. This reduces air pollution and supports active travel by allowing children to walk, cycle or scoot to school safely. 

In 2022, two new permanent school streets were established for Christ Church CofE School and St John’s Primary School and a new trial extension for Lovelace Primary School commenced this Spring. They join the existing five School Streets in the borough that have been making journeys to school safer.

While walking, cycling and public transport are the lowest impact ways to travel, and have significant health benefits, the council is also supporting the move away from fossil fuel based vehicles and an improvement in air quality by encouraging the installation of electric vehicle charging points across the borough. 

There are now over 250 electric vehicle charging points installed in lampposts, and 30 fast charging points. The current delivery of lamp column charging points has been funded through the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).