"Dear ....................

The impacts of the climate and ecological breakdown are accelerating and becoming more problematic and disruptive every year, locally, nationally and globally. We can see the effects of climate and ecological breakdown impacting more and more on people’s universal rights to life, food, education, work, health and liberty. Those that are most vulnerable are the first to suffer.

Croydon is a microcosm of the global picture where droughts, floods, heatwaves, wildfires and storms are already impacting resident’s lives, health and wellbeing as the cost of living, energy, food and housing soars. The stark reality is that here in Croydon the most vulnerable are suffering most from the effects of the climate and ecological breakdown.

The Croydon Climate Crisis Commission’s Report 2021 (below) stated that:

‘Croydon Council needs to show leadership to address the climate and ecological crisis we face, but it cannot achieve the scale of change required within the necessary timeframes without a broad alliance of partners working together. What is needed going forward is to forge alliances with a diverse range of groups and stakeholders across the borough: education, skills, and wider public sector organisations; businesses, employees, and trade unions; the community and voluntary sector; and local residents. Throughout the recommendations the Commission has emphasised the need to co-design activities with a broad range of stakeholders in the borough. We believe that this is the only way the scale of this challenge can be addressed.’

THE CROYDON CLIMATE CRISIS COMMISSION REPORT

Croydon has that broad diverse range of stakeholders eager and willing to work together with the council to tackle the climate and ecological crisis we face and make Croydon a healthy, green, sustainable and thriving borough.

If elected Executive Mayor of Croydon, how will you:

1. Deliver the step change needed to tackle the climate and ecological crisis as it impacts on people in Croydon?

2. Work together with a diverse range of groups and stakeholders across the borough to deliver the step change?

3. Ensure that residents' differing social vulnerabilities to the climate and ecological crisis are embedded in focused policy solutions that reflect the demographic, social, and environmental contexts of Croydon?

Please email your response to points 1 - 3 above to croydonclimateaction@gmail.com with Mayoral Election 2026 in the subject line.

The content of this email and your responses will be published on our website, croydonclimateaction.com, as soon as they are returned."

We have asked each of our mayoral candidates to respond to our email and the the replies are below:

In addition we asked Mayor Perry to comment on his record as mayor:

"In addition please could you provide evidence of progress in achieving your commitments as stated in your 2022 “Taking action to clean up Croydon’s environment”.

Response here:

Awaiting response: