6 The Role of Central Government and
the Government Estate
160. What the Government does on its own estate to
reduce CO2 emissions can help to set the agenda for
individual action in this field. In June 2006 the Government announced
its "aspirational" target to reduce carbon emissions
from its office-based estate by 30 per cent by 2020, and pledged
that the Government office estate would go carbon neutral by 2012,
saving approximately 2.9 million tonnes of CO2.[227]
However, findings by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC)
revealed that, despite overall emissions falling by 0.5% since
1999-2000, emissions from many departments, including Defra, have
increased. The report also highlights that 14 departments are
less energy efficient now than in 1999-2000, and that while much
of the electricity procured by Government departments is from
renewable sources, the departments have failed to ascertain to
what extent additional renewable energy over and above that already
required thorough the Renewables Obligation is being generated
as a result of Government procurement. The SDC notes that "there
remains a great deal to be done to meet the 12.5% reduction by
2010/11 [and] self-generated electricity […] currently accounts
for only 0.0004% of the electricity provision."[228]
The former Minister of State (Climate Change and Environment),
Ian Pearson MP, conceded that, in terms of the Government Office
Estate, "performance overall is not as good as it should
be and we do need to up our game".[229]
161. Several witnesses, including the Royal Institute
for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Environment Agency, told
us that the Government should set an example through its own activities.[230]
Similarly, CRed argues that a policy of informing individuals
about climate change and engaging them in efforts to tackle it
"will only be effective" if everyone sees that Government
itself is committed to such efforts.[231]
162. The Association for the Conservation of Energy
(ACE) called on the Government to encourage the uptake of domestic
emission reduction measures by implementing and extending the
scope of Article 7 of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance
of buildings. Article 7 requires all public buildings over 1,000
square metres to display an energy performance certificate. ACE's
view was that all buildings visited by the public (for example
banks and supermarkets, rather than just publicly owned buildings)
should display certificates in order to both raise awareness and
act as an exemplar to the community.[232]
163. There is an important role for public buildings
and public investment in leading the way by example, but very
little evidence of this taking place. We observe that Parliament
has an important role to play as an exemplar, and that more needs
to be done to improve its environmental performance. However,
we remain unimpressed by the Government's poor record regarding
its own buildings. It is failing to set a good example, and missing
a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the financial and environmental
savings that can be made. The Government must be a 'guiding light'
which individuals can follow, and if the Government is to be an
exemplar for citizens, then Defra should set the example for the
rest of Government. Accordingly, the Secretary of State should
be set binding targets and if these targets are missed for two
consecutive years, the Secretary of State should report to Parliament
the reasons why. The Government should reinforce guidance on energy
performance standards for public buildings and make it easier
for investment to be made in local energy generation/networks.
The UK Government must set an example, showing other developed
and developing nations that implementation of energy efficiency
measures is not detrimental to economic growth.
227 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
Government signals a step-change on environmentally sustainable
behaviour, News Release 258/06, 12 June 2006 Back
228
Sustainable Development Commission, Sustainable Development
in Government: Fifth Annual Report 2006, February 2007 Back
229
Q 788 Back
230
Ev 127-128, 320 Back
231
Ev 302 Back
232
Ev 238 Back
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