People Features

Sustainability: 'Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'

London Leaders

Each London Leader will target a specific area for action over the next year and it is hoped that their sustainability campaigns will inspire Londoners to take action in their own communities. The 15 individuals have been appointed from a cross section of society including the voluntary sector, academia, arts and entertainment, commerce and the clergy.

According to the 2002 'City Limits' report commissioned by the Greater London Authority, the way we are living our lives is not sustainable. It found that London has an ecological footprint of roughly 49 million global hectares, roughly twice the size of the United Kingdom, and equivalent to 6.63 global hectares per Londoner.

The London Leaders

Three whole planets would be required if everyone on Earth enjoyed the average Londoner's appetite for consumption and waste. An equal share of Earth's resources divided between the global population translates to just 2.18 global hectares per person. The London Sustainable Development Commission hopes that this new programme will show how we can reduce the capital's ecological footprint.

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: "A sustainable future requires leaders at all levels, from government to local business, to lead by example. By identifying and supporting these London Leaders I am confident they can inspire communities."

The eco-entertainment trailblazer

Joseph Oliver, 23, is the founder of BASH Creations, an entertainment company that specialises in organising carbon-neutral events and exhibitions. He has pledged to 'champion and facilitate a meeting of minds to create a non-impact, carbon-neutral nightclub or entertainment venue.'

"I want to change what is currently standard practice in the entertainment industry," Joseph tells BBC London. "When people finish an event they throw everything away and they don't care how their production methods might impact on the environment."

Joseph Oliver and Mayor Livingstone

At one of Joseph's events, rather than seating on plush sofas, you may find yourself sitting on reclaimed furniture or a thrown away shopping trolley. The drinks from the bar will be organic and locally-sourced. The cups will be made from recycled paper. An energy audit of the venue is conducted to find out exactly how much energy is used during the event, so that it can be offset.

Carbon emissions created by travel to the venue is also offset because, as Joseph says, "When you are throwing an event you are making people create emissions beyond the confines of the event itself."

"It's about bringing the best creativity and content, and mixing that with very stringent production values, to address the inherent environmental impacts that these productions bring."

Joseph Oliver was approached to be a London Leader after he stood up and asked Ken Livingstone some pointed questions while the Mayor was giving a talk on sustainability. As well as seeing it as an honour, he says it is also an opportunity for him to 'keep on doing what I am already doing.'

Tackling London's waste problem

"It took me a long time to accept and I had to think about it long and hard," Monica Saini confesses to BBC London when discussing her new role as a London Leader. "There is a commitment that I am making and I want to be sure that I can honour it."

In her day job as an environment and transport advisor to Christian Aid, it could be said that Monica is already doing her bit to help combat climate change. However, her commitment as a London Leader will be to help reduce the amount of waste and packaging produced when Londoners have their lunch, for example the plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

London Leader Monica Saini

"My aim is to work in a particular locality - although I haven't decided where yet - and to work with small retailers, coffee outlets and sandwich shops. Get them around a table, feed them some ideas and do some brainstorming. What I want to achieve is a toolkit for how we can reduce waste. I want to set a framework so that other localities or towns can then take that and use it."

Monica, who studied Accountancy and Finance at the London School of Economics, hopes to demonstrate that it is possible to run a successful business allied with a strong social ethos.

"I want us to work collectively on an umbrella campaign, but then I'll work with each of the retailers individually to see what works and how each business operates. How would you save money and gain efficiencies, whilst reducing waste? Hopefully the best ideas will come from the businesses themselves."

Reducing waste is a massive challenge. Every year London produces over 26 million tonnes of rubbish, the majority of which is buried in landfill sites. By specifically targeting lunchtime waste, the scale of the problem is given a personal solution. Individuals can make small changes in behaviour that, all together, will add up to a big difference.

"London, because of the population, because of the wealth, has a very throwaway culture. People don't think about plastic bags or using too much packaging because it has become the norm. It's quite sad. Post-war people were careful about their resources."

Despite an admirable history of activism behind her – she is also the South Asian Climate Change Ambassador in Ealing – Monica is under no illusions about the scale of her task and is worried how the businesses will react, in her words, 'to a 25-year-old Indian girl coming along and telling them what's what.'

"The reason I got involved with London Leaders is that unfortunately one person cannot make a change, or a significant change. That's just the reality of life. You need a structure behind you. The structure I have is the Mayor."