The generation of green energy and its distribution in London Essay

The generation of green energy and its distribution in London - Essay Example This body consists of the mayor, directly elected by members, 25 members, who carry out inspection duties, and stuff consisting of about 700 persons (Greater London Authority, 2010). GLA draws its powers from two main acts: the Greater London Authority Acts, 1999 and 2007. GLA enjoys jurisdiction in areas such as policing, fire planning, environment, economic development, emergency and transport. In order for the body to carry out its duties effectively, it was thought wise to institute four bodies to assist in the management of the aforementioned services. These bodies include the London Fire and Emergency planning authority, Metropolitan Police Authority, London Development Agency and Transport for London (Greater London Authority 2010). The UK government funds GLA although some of its financial resources are received from direct taxes collected from the area. Responsibilities of the Greater London Authority In order to assure the welfare of its residents is prioritized, the UK gov ernment gave GLA, under the leadership of the mayor, certain responsibilities to make sure everything is done in accordance with the laid down rules for the betterment of London. In this regard, GLA has strategic administration responsibilities for the whole London city. To ensure this is done, it is responsible for coordination of the local authorities of the Greater London. ... The second responsibility is that as the mayor of the city, he is responsible for preparation of the budgets, which are presented to the congress for debate and possible adoption. Thirdly, he is given powers to make appointments to bodies under his leadership as well as pan-London bodies. Finally, the Mayor of London is responsible for representing London city both internationally and at home, especially in matters pertaining to the city (Greater London Authority, 2010). Recent Environmental Policies and Strategies Introduced The Mayor of London notes that London seeks to be among the leading cities in the world in terms of environmental management and conservation. He notes that for this to be achieved, a bold step must be taken towards reducing pollution, consuming fewer resources, dealing with issues of climate change, and decreasing the level of carbon. Achieving this dream is not easy when people just talk about them but fail to implement. As such, the mayor came up with several strategies to be instituted in London in respect of the environment. The first proposal pertains to the lowering of air pollution in London. Dow (2009, p.12-28) notes that over 70% of the global energy is consumed by large towns, resulting in about 80% of greenhouse gas emissions. London is among the cities of the world with a high level of greenhouse gas emissions and the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases in UK – about 80%, which is approximated at about 44 million tons of carbon dioxide. Environmentalists argue that these emissions are likely to increase in London, considering that the town has been witnessing high population growth and economic development. It is for