As part of London Climate Action Week, Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled a £12 million fund aimed at expanding green and blue spaces, addressing social disparities in environmental access, and supporting community-driven nature projects across London.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a new Green Roots Fund as part of the city’s ambitious efforts to create a greener, healthier, and more climate-resilient capital. Announced at the start of London Climate Action Week, the fund commits more than £12 million to improving and expanding green and blue spaces across London, including parks, community gardens, wetlands, and rivers. This follows a pledge made in Khan’s 2024 Election Manifesto and is aimed at nurturing habitats where wildlife can thrive, potentially even reintroducing species that have disappeared from the capital.
This new fund also targets social inequalities linked to environmental access. Research highlights that Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities in London are more than twice as likely to live in areas lacking green spaces, while over 20% of households have no access to a private garden. By investing in community-driven projects, the fund seeks to correct these disparities, offering grants from £10,000 to £500,000 to local groups, borough councils, and stakeholders. These grants will support initiatives like planting trees, creating wildflower meadows, developing parklets, and improving waterways.
The launch of the Green Roots Fund coincides with London Climate Action Week, Europe’s largest city-wide climate festival now in its seventh year, hosting more than 700 in-person and virtual events and drawing over 45,000 participants. The week showcases London’s global leadership on climate issues, featuring a host of discussions and forums. Highlights include the Climate Innovation Forum, where the Mayor will engage with international leaders on pioneering green projects, and the inaugural Youth Summit at ZSL, empowering young Londoners to contribute to climate action.
Khan’s administration has already made significant strides in enhancing the capital’s natural environment, restoring over 900 hectares of green space—equivalent to more than 2,000 football pitches—and improving 3.7km of river habitats. The existing Grow Back Greener Fund has allocated more than £4 million to over 135 community projects, helping Londoners cultivate 30 more hectares of green space and plant upwards of 25,000 trees. Since 2016, over 600,000 trees have been planted across the city, creating 85 hectares of woodland and tree-filled areas accessible to all.
Moreover, investment in rewilding efforts has continued through the Rewild London Fund, which has supported the restoration of some of the capital’s most significant natural areas with a spend of over £2.5 million since 2021. Sadiq Khan has stressed the importance of making nature’s benefits accessible to every Londoner, reiterating his commitment to building a greener and fairer city.
London Climate Action Week itself is a significant platform for diverse organisations and communities to accelerate climate work. Apart from the Green Roots Fund launch, the event includes a seed giveaway promoting the creation of habitats in green space-scarce areas, a series of discussions on sustainable urban design, and forums focusing on innovative finance and technology solutions for net-zero ambitions. One flagship event, Reset Connect London at the Excel Centre, gathers sustainability leaders and innovators to deliver strategies and solutions for net-zero business practices, reflecting the broad and integrated nature of the week’s climate action efforts.
The Climate Innovation Forum, held at Guildhall, brings together over 2,000 policymakers, business leaders, and civil society representatives to showcase solutions and build collaborations for a low-carbon economy. Meanwhile, other events during the week, like the Climate Compass and discussions hosted by environmental organisations, foster networking and knowledge exchange on climate trends and sustainability data management.
Collectively, these initiatives and events underline London’s commitment not only to addressing climate change but also to embedding environmental justice and inclusive access to natural spaces within its urban fabric.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/london/news/mayor-launching-green-fund – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.londonclimateactionweek.org/ – London Climate Action Week (LCAW) is an annual event that brings together a diverse range of organisations, communities, and individuals to host hundreds of climate-focused activities across the city. Scheduled for 21-29 June 2025, LCAW is the largest city-wide climate festival in Europe, attracting over 45,000 attendees annually. The event aims to mobilise London’s unique ecosystem to accelerate global climate action and support local initiatives, reinforcing the city’s role as a global climate leader. The 2025 programme includes a variety of in-person and virtual events covering topics such as sustainable cities, green finance, and climate innovation.
- https://www.londonclimateactionweek.org/event/climate-innovation-forum-2025/ – The Climate Innovation Forum 2025 is a flagship event of London Climate Action Week, returning for its seventh year. Scheduled to take place at Guildhall, Gresham Street, London, this high-level forum will bring together over 2,000 business leaders, policymakers, investors, and civil society representatives to accelerate collective efforts in driving climate action. The forum focuses on translating promises into tangible actions, showcasing innovative solutions, and fostering radical collaborations to bridge gaps in implementation, investment, and scaling-up of climate initiatives. It serves as a platform for sharing leadership, innovative solutions, and collaborations needed to advance the transition to a low-carbon economy.
- https://www.londonclimateactionweek.org/event/reset-connect-london/ – Reset Connect London is an award-winning sustainability and net-zero event taking place on 24-25 June 2025 at Excel London, as a central event of London Climate Action Week. This flagship event brings together sustainability leaders, innovators, and decision-makers to drive impactful change. Attendees can expect a robust exhibition and conference format, featuring five main stages with 400 expert speakers delivering keynote addresses, panel discussions, and presentations on topics such as net-zero business strategies, green finance, clean energy, and technology solutions. The event also includes eight interactive hubs showcasing innovative technologies and solutions providers, as well as an exhibition floor connecting 7,500 attendees from diverse sectors.
- https://www.londonclimateactionweek.org/event/climate-compass-london-2025/ – Climate Compass London 2025 is Sweep’s annual flagship event returning to London for the second year during London Climate Action Week. Scheduled for 24 June 2025 at 35-41 Folgate St, London E1 6BX, the event offers an evening of thought-provoking conversations and exclusive insights into the latest trends in sustainability. Influential speakers and special guests will explore topics such as shifts in regulations and strategies for building business resilience. The agenda includes panels on climate trends and networking opportunities with sustainability professionals. Sweep is a sustainability data management platform that helps organisations understand and manage extra-financial data across their business and value chain.
- https://www.qmul.ac.uk/about/sustainability/climate-action-week-2025/ – Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with Queen Mary Students’ Union, is organising a joint Climate Action Week from 17-21 February 2025. The week aims to translate sustainability into various areas, offering engaging events run by both students and staff. Activities include planting herbs, clothing repair workshops, discussions on the importance of COP with sustainability experts, sustainable finance career panels, canal clean-ups, and writing letters to the Earth. The initiative reflects Queen Mary’s commitment to sustainability, bringing the community together to take meaningful action on environmental challenges and integrating sustainability into research, education, and operations.
- https://www.londonclimateactionweek.org/event/reaisfc-delivering-a-nature-positive-future/ – The Renewable Energy Association (REA) and the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC) are hosting an event titled ‘Delivering a Nature Positive Future’ during London Climate Action Week. Scheduled for 25 June 2025 at KPMG’s office, 15 Canada Square, London E14 5GL, the event focuses on unifying climate, nature, and biodiversity efforts to move beyond net-zero to a nature-positive future that protects and repairs. The agenda includes sessions on renewables within forestry, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), biofuels, and their place in the circular bioeconomy, concluding with networking drinks. The REA is a UK not-for-profit trade association for renewable energy and clean technology, established in 2001.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents recent developments, including the launch of the Green Roots Fund and its alignment with London Climate Action Week. The earliest known publication date of similar content is 13 March 2025, when the Mayor announced over £7 million in funding to clean up London’s rivers. ([london.gov.uk](https://www.london.gov.uk/Mayor%20brings%20together%20landmark%20coalition%20to%20deliver%20major%20new%20improvements%20to%20London%E2%80%99s%20rivers?utm_source=openai)) This indicates that the content is fresh and not recycled. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The report includes direct quotes from the Mayor and other officials. The earliest known usage of these quotes is from the press release dated 13 March 2025. ([london.gov.uk](https://www.london.gov.uk/Mayor%20brings%20together%20landmark%20coalition%20to%20deliver%20major%20new%20improvements%20to%20London%E2%80%99s%20rivers?utm_source=openai)) No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating originality. No variations in quote wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable organisation, London City Hall, which adds credibility. However, the report is based on a press release, which may indicate a lack of independent verification. The press release is dated 13 March 2025, and the report was published on 23 June 2025, suggesting a delay in reporting. No unverifiable entities are mentioned.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about the Green Roots Fund and its objectives align with the Mayor’s previous initiatives, such as the Grow Back Greener Fund. The report mentions the fund’s commitment of over £12 million, which is consistent with the £7 million announced in March 2025 for river improvements. ([london.gov.uk](https://www.london.gov.uk/Mayor%20brings%20together%20landmark%20coalition%20to%20deliver%20major%20new%20improvements%20to%20London%E2%80%99s%20rivers?utm_source=openai)) The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The tone and language are consistent with official communications.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents recent developments regarding the Green Roots Fund, with no significant issues found in freshness, quotes, or source reliability. However, the reliance on a press release and the lack of independent verification from other reputable outlets raise concerns about the report’s credibility. The delay in reporting and the absence of supporting details from other sources further contribute to the need for cautious interpretation.
