To what extent is London a sustainable city? 

This question requires “Resource booklet-Nov 2021 SL Paper 1” available under the “your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

Sustainable [4 max]:

1. recycling of SDW will reduce CO₂ from decomposition, reducing EF;
2. recycling of SDW will reduce space required for landfill, reducing EF;
3. vertical farming increases biocapacity / repurposing brownfield sites/empty industrial buildings means land does not need to be cleared for agriculture (increasing sustainability)/increases productive land area;
4. urban agriculture reduces importation of food which reduces carbon dioxide emissions from transportation;
5. no pesticides means a reduction in toxification of soil/water, increasing sustainability;
6. bee-keeping helps protect/raise healthy bees which are needed for biodiversity of plants;
7. reduction in water use for vertical farming increases sustainability;
8. air pollution control measures will reduce negative impact on human health and vegetation;
9. large amount of green space/habitat for biodiversity;
10. aiming to produce 15 % of energy from renewable, local sources, which increases sustainability/reduces EF;
11. deer are managed to ensure environment remains healthy;
12. money raised from selling deer meat goes to conservation increasing sustainability/protection of habitat;
13. there are over 8 million trees/47 % is classified as green space, providing oxygen /acting as a carbon sink/trees clean air of pollutants, which increases sustainability; 
    
    Not sustainable [4 max]:
14. EF is larger than biocapacity, which means it is not sustainable;
15. recycling requires energy and produces air pollution, which increases EF;
16. low recycling rates (compared to rest of UK)/lower than 35 %, so not sustainable / only paper and glass have more than 50 % recycled;
17. growth in population will increase demand for land (housing) and energy, so improvements may be counteracted by increased population;
18. green spaces are fragmented / green spaces are divided by urban barriers, so wildlife cannot move freely between habitats;
19. central London suffers from high levels of air pollution, which is not sustainable;
20. deer numbers rise rapidly and then crash, suggesting numbers are exceeding carrying capacity, which is not sustainable/habitat is being damaged;
21. only aiming for 15 % energy from renewables, which isn’t using resources wisely;

Conclusion [1 max]: While many aspects of the urban management of London contribute to its sustainability such as use of vertical farming that helps to conserve water, the vast population in a relatively small area means that its environmental footprint far exceeds the area of the city. 

Notes: Do not credit ‘EF of London is greater than world average EF’.
A valid conclusion should be credited if it is explicit, balanced (addresses both sides of the argument), supported by evidence and makes a clear value judgement.
Do not credit the conclusion if only one side of the argument has been considered within the overall response.
Award [5 max] for both sustainable and non-sustainable reasons.

Most candidates achieved at least two marks for this question by accurately interpreting information in the Resource Booklet that could either contribute to or hinder London being a sustainable city. Responses were generally well structured. However, few students provided a well balanced conclusion. Many conclusions were either one sided or too vague.