London’s mayor on lessons from one of the world’s greenest cities
Zero: The Climate Race
Bloomberg
4.8 • 296 Ratings
🗓️ 23 April 2026
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sadiq Khan is about to complete 10 years as London’s mayor. He’s seen the city affected by Brexit, the pandemic and two energy crises. That hasn’t deterred him from deploying some of the strongest air-quality regulations in any city. But he hasn’t yet succeeded in getting enough homes built and struggled to keep improving the train network. As cities keep growing, Khan talks to Akshat Rathi about lessons from London’s successes and failures. As a prominent member of the UK’s Labour Party, Khan also shares his thoughts about the future of the party. The interview was recorded on April 16.
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Chris Martlew, Jessica Beck, Andy Hayward, Sommer Saadi and Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Meaghan Olsen, Mohsis Andam, Laura Millan, and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Have you ever wondered what businesses are doing and should be doing to tackle climate change? |
| 0:04.5 | Then check out the award-winning and chart-topping podcast, Climate Rising, produced by Harvard Business School and hosted by me, Professor Mike Tawful. |
| 0:11.9 | Recently named one of the best environmental podcasts by Earth.org, Climate Rising shares a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the world's top entrepreneurs and business leaders |
| 0:20.8 | are addressing climate change, from climate storytelling and marketing to AI, regenerative agriculture, |
| 0:26.2 | and beyond. Don't miss out. Follow and listen to Climate Rising wherever you get your podcast. |
| 0:34.6 | Welcome to Zero. I'm Akshatrati. This week, climate lessons from London. |
| 0:49.9 | More than half of all humans live in cities. And that means by definition, cities are a climate problem. |
| 0:58.0 | Because when extreme weather hits cities, it hurts a disproportionate number of people. |
| 1:03.5 | Recall what Hurricane Sandy did to New York in 2012, or the epic floods in Karachi in 2022. |
| 1:10.7 | But cities can also be climate solutions. Cheaper public |
| 1:14.3 | transport, more energy efficient homes, denser living, cities can make lower carbon |
| 1:19.7 | lifestyles more affordable. When Sadie Khan was elected as London mayor, he pledged to be the greenest |
| 1:26.0 | ever. Now, in his third term, has he delivered on his ambition? |
| 1:31.2 | What lessons does he have for other cities looking to cut emissions and prepare for extreme weather? |
| 1:36.5 | And as a prominent figure in the UK's Labour Party, how does he see the future of his party |
| 1:42.4 | and his country as the politics of climate becomes more contentious? |
| 1:47.8 | I last met Sadiq Khan in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the UN Climate Summit, COP 30. |
| 1:53.0 | We were attending a meeting of the world's mayors organized by C40, a group which partners with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Khan co-chairs. |
| 2:01.3 | This conversation took place somewhere more familiar, the city of London. |
| 2:17.2 | In your 2016, except in speech, you said you had a burning ambition for Londoners. |
| 2:22.6 | You said you wanted them to have decent and affordable homes, a comfortable, affordable commute, |
| 2:28.2 | more jobs with better pay, cleaner air, and opportunities that will fulfill their potential. |
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