PRESS RELEASE : Mayor of London reveals economic impact of July’s heatwave [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 3 October 2022.

Record July temperatures saw number of visitors and workers in central London plummet to only 74 per cent of previous month

Mayor outlines to business leaders and investors how he is tackling climate change and scale of the challenge ahead

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan will today expose the economic impact of July’s record-breaking heatwave, revealing that it led to a significant reduction in the number of visitors and workers to central London.

Sadiq will reveal that the drop in visitors and workers in central London during the heatwave was comparable to the announcement of Plan B Covid restrictions in December 2021 when office workers were encouraged to work from home.

Sadiq will highlight the findings as he warns that failure to tackle climate change will not only lead to more extreme weather events but will also significantly impact the capital’s economy.

July’s heatwave saw temperatures surpass 40 degrees Celsius for the first time in London and the UK’s history. This saw devastating fires rage across the capital prompting London Fire Brigade (LFB) to declare a major incident. Today, the Mayor will for the first time reveal the economic impact of the searing heat.

Speaking at the Reuters IMPACT Conference alongside business leaders and innovators, the Mayor will reveal that on Monday, July 18, when temperatures in London exceeded 35 degrees, there were 385,640 daytime workers in central London, when 518,000 workers would usually be expected. This equates to just 74 per cent of footfall compared to June 2022.

On the same day, there were 275,000 daytime visitors to central London, when a normal day would expect to see more than 361,000 people. This equates to just 76 per cent of June 2022 footfall.

Speaking about the impact of climate change at Reuters today, Sadiq is expected to say:

“For decades, we’ve known this train has been hurtling in our direction. But it’s only now that it’s finally caught up with us that the sense of crisis is at its most acute.

“On the 19th of July temperatures in our city soared to 40 degrees. For the first time ever, London overheated.

“Vicious wildfires overwhelmed emergency services. Destroyed homes. And infrastructure was crippled by extreme heat.

“We also saw a dramatic drop in footfall across central London to the detriment of our businesses.”

“When we look back at this period of history no one will be able claim with any credibility that we were not given fair warning – that we could not see disaster bearing down on us.

“That’s why, as Mayor I’ve refused to stand idly.”

Since becoming Mayor, Sadiq has been doing all he can to tackle climate changes.

He has made record investments in green jobs, skills and infrastructure – as part of his Green New Deal and moved London’s target for Net Zero forward from 2050 to 2030.

He has also delivered a fivefold increase in protected cycling lanes, put more electric and hydrogen powered buses on London’s roads, cleaned up the taxi fleet and delivered hundreds of new electric vehicle charging points.

He has also taken some of the boldest and most ambitious action of any city in the world to clean up London’s air and bring down emissions by introducing the Ultra-Low Emission Zone and is now consulting on expanding the ULEZ London-wide next year.

On the scale of the challenge ahead, Sadiq is expected to say:

“Crises do often take an age to arrive. But we can be in no doubt – this one – the climate crisis – is now upon us.

“Humanity has been too slow off the mark, but momentum is with now with us – with the people here who believe in our capacity for change and in our ability to adapt.

“The challenge is daunting, but we should take hope from the scale of our ambition and the strength of our resolve.”

On working with business to tackle climate change, Sadiq is expected to say:

“Our success rests on collaboration – on all of us working in unison for a better tomorrow.

“And it’s in this spirit I’ve sought to engage with London’s business community.

“But to meet our 2030 Net Zero target, London will need to go much further, much faster. Our estimate puts the figure in excess of £75 billion worth of investment.

“And we simply can’t deliver that without the private sector, without you.

“I know you’re all dealing with inflationary pressures right now, but there are huge opportunities – and rewards – to be seized by accelerating our efforts to achieve Net Zero by 2030.

“London’s ambition for a sustainable economy is within reach. And with your help, it can – and will – be achieved.

“Delivering not just profits for our businesses, but security and prosperity for all.”