Can London become a global leader in urban mining?

This year’s climate agenda is taking on heightened relevance, with momentum building around key events that could shape the global response. In a climate of growing scepticism and politicisation around sustainability and ESG, meaningful engagement and action have never felt more vital.

There is a diverse and rich line-up of events throughout the week at London Climate Action Week (LCAW), and SEC Newgate has been collaborating with a range of clients and partners to support the programme. These include the Fleet Street Quarter, which once again is hosting its Climate Festival during LCAW on 24 and 25 June.

The Fleet Street Climate Festival brings together leaders from sustainability, property, finance, law, culture, and media to debate and share insights on how we can mobilise the private sector to support a more healthy, sustainable and prosperous future that benefits all of society.

Through the Festival, the Fleet Street Quarter aims to help businesses in the Fleet Street area and beyond accelerate their efforts to transition to net zero.

A key theme of this year’s festival is the circular economy, including a keynote speech from Mary Creagh, Minister for Nature at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), who is responsible for the government’s circular economy policy.

There will also be a panel discussion on urban mining and material reuse in the built environment (4pm, Wednesday 25 June), exploring what more can be done to reduce the impact of demolition on the planet and avoid wasting buildings. 

Urban mining focuses on treating obsolete buildings and structures as a resource, from which materials, such as steel, concrete, plastics or other building materials are extracted and reused in new projects. The panel will focus on how we can build a market for urban mining in London, exploring whether the capital can become a world leader in circular building development.

This panel features a stellar line-up, with industry leaders from Great Portland Estates, Arup, Willmott Dixon, Fletcher + Priest and Maconda Solutions, with opening remarks by Georgia Elliott-Smith, ESG expert and green buildings campaigner.

It promises to be a fascinating discussion.

For more details and to sign up to the panel visit the Fleet Street Climate Festival website:

https://www.fleetstreetquarter.co.uk/copy-of-events-1/climate-festival-2025