London could be a sustainable city by 2050 - Ken Livingstone20 June 2013
London could be a completely sustainable city by 2050 if we had the political will, says former Mayor Ken Livingstone.
In an exclusive video interview for Friends of the Earth the former London leader says cities can make massive progress on the environment where national governments are being "absolutely pathetic".
In the interview for our Big Ideas Change the World project Livingstone looks back on his path into politics, his legacy as mayor and the pivotal role cities globally could play in creating a better future for humanity.
"A concentration of 8 million people gives you the chance to make massive improvements. You can generate energy locally, and do it very efficiently. You've got a scale of population where everything can be recycled easily."
Watch the interview with Ken Livingstone - then let us know what you think in the comment field below.
The interview catches Livingstone in relaxed mood. It offers a rare insight into one of the most powerful - and sometimes controversial - city leaders in British history.
Livingstone was London mayor from 2000-2008 and founded the C40 global network of major cities.
He says that in his early days in politics city leaders had much greater autonomy.
"I loved being able to do things locally - get an adventure playground built. We caused mayhem because we introduced free contraception. We introduced free bus travel for pensioners.
Unless there was a law forbidding you from doing something a council could do anything that it could raise the funds for.
Ken Livingstone
He insists that city leaders can make a practical difference to the quality of life and the environment.
"Mayors are much keener to move on climate change than national government because the city isn't going to work unless they tackle it. Look at the level of pollution in Beijing, look at the fact that here in London 4,000 people a year die prematurely because of air quality. Mayors are very focused on this - they want to tackle it."
C40 network
Speaking at his London home Livingstone says a key legacy could be the C40 network of global cities. He brought together mayors from across the world "as a way of getting something started that governments were not going to tackle".
He's sharply critical of national governments' lack of action on climate change. Aside from the Scandinavians, Livingstone says, the major Western democracies are "still absolutely pathetic in their response."
What do you think of Livingstone's London?
Have you lived in a city with a strong mayor? Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson, Michael Bloomberg, Clint Eastwood? What difference did they make?
The following guidance is primarily intended for children, young people and vulnerable adults: We want everyone to feel safe and secure when using our online public spaces. If someone does something you find upsetting, please mention this to an adult you trust or email us at [email protected]
© Friends of the Earth
