LONDON: SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

London: Sustainable Future



London: Sustainable Future

Introduction

The paper discusses the environmental development plan and measures undertaken by the Great London Authority and the Mayor. It highlights the role and responsibilities of GLA and Mayor, the sustainability policies and the reaction of the students and public towards these measures.

Role and Responsibilities of GLA and Mayor

GLA

The Greater London Authority (abbreviated as GLA) is the agency responsible for the management of Greater London, one of the nine English regions. The authority is composed of a mayor elected by direct universal suffrage, once Ken Livingstone, now the Conservative Boris Johnson, and a board, called London Assembly (London Assembly), composed of 25 members, elected for four years with a mixed system: 14 members of the assembly are elected in single- member constituencies and 11 elected by party list at the regional level. The GLA is responsible for the strategic planning of the Great London. It exercises then powers of local government based on advice from 32 districts of London and the corporation of the London city. It was established in order to make a single representative (Greater London Council, 75). Mayor proposes the budget and the policy of the great London authority and appoints the key executives who are responsible for the capitals like London Transport and the London agency of development. The basic purpose of the London assembly is to analyse the actions and the decision of the mayor who is responsible to it. Every year the assembly accepts to amend the budget to the mayor.

Mayor

He has specific powers and duties, and the general power to undertake anything that will promote the social and economic development, and leads to environmental improvement in London. Before exercising his power, the mayor must consult with the people, promoting equality of opportunities. The GLA act of 1999 was supplemented and updated by the great London authority act of 2007 and it granted additional powers to the mayor of London and the Assembly of London (Greater London Council, 80).

Setting strategies for London

One of the responsibilities of mayor is to set strategies for London. These strategies include transport planning and development, housing, regeneration, and the economic development. It also includes a wide range of environmental issues like climate change, ambient noise, biodiversity, waste disposal and air quality. These plans together to help deliver the Mayor's policies. The plan must contribute to sustainable development and the health of citizens (The World watch Institute, 216).

Policies

The GLA and mayor are working in collaboration to cope with the environmental issues. The mayor has published the environmental strategies, set out proposal, targets and priorities for making London a cleaner, sustainable and greener city. These Policies cover the biodiversity, air quality (Wilson, 101). Energy, waste management and noise pollution control. In addition to these the GLA has published Animal welfare tree and Woodland frameworks and the water draft strategy. The mayor's climate change action plan was launched in 2007, which set out a comprehensive analysis of London's carbon emission and map for achieving the ...