Zero Carbon Accelerator

From vision to action: decarbonising London’s public sector buildings

Blogs · News · 8 Oct 2025

Headshot of Philippa Ellis

Philippa Ellis, Principal Programme and Policy Officer 

As we mark one year of the Zero Carbon Accelerator, I am proud of the collective progress we’ve made. Heating and powering London’s buildings accounts for around two thirds of the city’s carbon emissions. This programme is here to help address this. 

The Mayor of London has driven progress to net zero over the past nine years, supporting projects from solar PV for Hackney to heat network development for Southwark. The Zero Carbon Accelerator has helped to build on this work over the past year. For example, we have continued to support Waltham Forest with their work to encourage more low carbon heat networks in the borough, and to support Alexandra Palace with their action plan towards net zero. 

The Zero Carbon Accelerator has helped inspire heat network projects in areas like Hammersmith and Fulham that have beneficial learnings for others, amongst other major decarbonisation projects. There are currently 24 projects underway, with 17 more in development, with a total capital expenditure value of roughly £192m. The programme is now predicted to reduce energy use in public sector buildings by over 70,000 MWh each year and deliver up to 12,000 tonnes of CO2e a great impact in just one year.    

I am a member of the District Heating Divas network, so I’ve been doubly exciting to see how heat networks have played a role in these projects and many others. The District Heating Divas Network connects women in the UK’s heat network sector and plays a vital role in shaping a more inclusive and resilient energy future. As the UK accelerates toward heat network zoning, having diverse voices at the table is essential for designing systems that serve everyone equally. 

I’ve been lucky to witness and be part of all this positive change, as a Principal Programme and Policy Officer within the Zero Carbon Accelerator team and Programme Lead for the previous programme, the Local Energy Accelerator. I want to recognise and thank the many public sector organisations across London that have expressed an interest and taken action with the support of the Accelerator, as well as the Alliance members that have enabled these projects. We have plenty more work to do, and the drive and expertise to do it.  

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