Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, unveiled proposals to set up a "retrofitting academy" to train an army of energy advisers as he aired his ambitions to place the city at the forefront of green industry. Johnson also vowed to push ahead with the retrofitting of buildings in London that in one way or another reside in the public sector – believed to be around 25% of all buildings in the capital.

Local Government Association/Energy Saving Trust conference and exhibition 2009: in the eye of the storm: councils at the heart of tackling climate change
This Local Government Association and Energy Saving Trust conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges in reducing emissions and planning to adapt. Councils are uniquely placed to deliver change but cannot do it alone, so the conference will also look at mobilising communities and businesses to take action.

In a unanimous decision, the Nottingham (UK) City Council passed a measure acknowledging "the forthcoming impact of peak oil," and listing actions it plans to take to help Nottingham "rise to the challenge of peak oil but also encourage the city to grasp the opportunities which peak oil offers."

Boris Johnson, the London mayor, is basing the new program on a successful one in the metropolitan area of Kirklees. Insulating the lofts [atttics] of London homes will save residents money and help propel the city toward its goal of cutting its carbon emissions by 60% by 2025.

UK-based ODAC (in cooperation with Post Carbon Institute) has prepared a new report aimed specifically at local government in the UK called Preparing for Peak Oil: Local Authorities and the Energy Crisis.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Rosie Boycott, Chair of London Food, today launched an innovative scheme to turn 2,012 pieces of land into thriving green spaces to grow food by 2012. Capital Growth – the first initiative delivered by Rosie Boycott in her capacity as Chair of London Food – aims to identify suitable patches of land around London and offer financial and practical support to groups of enthusiastic gardeners or organisations who want to grow food for themselves and for the local community.

This report from the newly-formed UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security is the first multi-company alarm bell to be sounded on peak oil. It sets out a series of practical recommendations for Government, including action to grasp the significant economic and environmental opportunities from a step-change in investment in renewable energy and sustainable transport.

The risk to the UK from falling oil production in coming years is greater than the threat posed by terrorism, according to an industry taskforce report published today. The report, from the Peak Oil group, warns that the problem of declining availability of oil will hit the UK earlier than generally expected - possibly within the next five years and as early as 2011.

Two activists in Todmorden, England are working to make their town self-sufficient in ten years. The transformation of their town to a productive green landscape is part of a greater movement toward urban gardening and agriculture that can help create greater food security in cities.

To help councils in the U.K. formulate their thinking on peak oil and climate change preparedness, two organisations, the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC) and the Post Carbon Institute, have got together to produce a guide aimed at local councils, outlining the implications of "peak oil" and the kinds of responsible options that are available to councils.