Appendix 1: Government response
Government Response to Making Government operations
more sustainable: A progress report
Introduction
Government welcomes this report. Sustainable operations
is a key priority for the government, as reflected in the targets
for the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE).
The ability of the government to show leadership in its own operations
is vital to driving change. Departments took steps in 2007-08
to address issues in performance, and we expect that this will
be reflected in the next SDiG report. Since the Committee reported,
Government has taken further steps to improve the sustainability
of its operations. The publication of the Sustainable Procurement
and Operations on the Government Estate Delivery Plan in August
2008 marked a significant step forward; progress that was welcomed
by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC).
In October Government announced the formation of
the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). By bringing
together policy responsibility for energy (formerly with BERR)
and climate change (formerly with Defra) the Department will be
able to give an even greater focus to solving the twin challenges
of climate change and energy supply. The change means that the
Department responsible for meeting the nation's climate change
targets also has responsibility for the major areas of delivery,
and that policy to develop affordable, secure and sustainable
energy will be taken forward in an integrated way. The Centre
of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement (CESP) will work closely
with DECC to ensure government's operations reflect best practice.
1. The record of civil departments in tackling
their carbon emissions has remained very poor overall. We recommend
that all departments set out a credible set of actions for delivering
the 12.5% reduction target as urgently as possible. (Paragraph
11)
Government accepts this recommendation. The Delivery
Plan published on 7 August 2008 included trajectories detailing
the activities planned by each department to meet each of the
SOGE targets for carbon emissions from offices and travel, waste,
recycling, and water consumption. These trajectories show that
at a pan-government level, government expects to meet all of the
SOGE targets. CESP will work with departments to ensure that they
each have robust plans in place, and to address any difficulties
and develop further programmes of work.
2. We welcome the fact that the Government
has now removed QinetiQ from the historic baseline against which
it is measuring progress in reducing emissions. What is harder
to understand is why it has taken several years for the Government
to accept and act on this point. It is unacceptable that the Government
allowed what was essentially an accounting anomaly to distort
its headline performance so profoundly. To avoid such inaccurate
reporting in the future, the Government must ensure that where
departments acquire or dispose of significant parts of their estate,
they clearly recalculate the baseline of emissions from which
they are measuring their progress. (Paragraph 14)
Government accepts this recommendation. This year
the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) worked with the SDC and
departments to undertake a re-baselining exercise, to ensure that
the baselines used by Government and SDC to judge progress towards
the targets were an accurate reflection of both the starting point
and alterations in the scope of departmental reporting, such as
Machinery of Government changes. In its Delivery Plan, Government
committed to developing a register of baselines, to contain each
department's baseline for each target during 2008-09. This will
ensure that changes to the estate or the scope of departmental
reporting can be easily captured, and to ensure accurate performance
data is being used to judge departments progress.
3. While it is encouraging that the Government
appears to have found evidence of additional carbon savings to
offset the removal of "the QinetiQ effect", these new
figures should be treated with caution, until the SDC has examined
and commented on them. We recommend that in future the Government
ensures it submits the correct figures to the SDC in time for
examination and inclusion in the annual Sustainable Development
in Government report. (Paragraph 16)
Government accepts this recommendation. The changes
made in the Government response to the SDC's report this year
related to suggested changes to the baseline for the Ministry
of Justice (MoJ). This has reflected the impact of the inclusion
of the Magistrates' Court estate in their Sustainable Development
in Government (SDiG) returns for the first time, which it had
not been possible to agree with the SDC in time for the publication
of their report.
Both the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and MoJ submitted
formal re-baselining requests this year, to acknowledge the changes
identified in the Government response. The effect of this has
been to increase the MoJ baseline to reflect the inclusion of
the Magistrates' Court estate.
The MoD also re-baselined, to remove QinetiQ. Despite
this change they are forecast to make a reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions of 10% in 2007-08 against the baseline, and are on track
to meet the 2010-11 target.
The CESP is currently working with departments to
move to a process of more timely data recording—ensuring
that data can be provided on a regular basis and facilitating
the provision of accurate data to the SDC. This process will also
capture changes in baselines, ensuring early identification of
any re-baselining requirements which can be agreed with the CESP,
departments and the SDC in a timely manner.
4. We recommend the Government ensures that
the basis on which departments report their emissions is made
consistent. In particular, if the main targets on carbon emissions
are to refer solely to offices then those major parts of the Government
Estate that are not offices—notably large areas of military
bases, prisons and courts—should be removed from the figures,
and the baselines adjusted accordingly. In that case, the Government
must also ensure that these other parts of its estate are subject
to an equivalent set of targets and reporting requirements. Alternatively,
the Government should enlarge the definition of the target to
encompass them. In either case, PFI prisons should be required
to meet the same target and reporting requirements as state-run
prisons. (Paragraph 19)
Government accepts the need for consistency of reporting
and that the same targets and reporting requirements should apply
to PFI run prisons as to state run prisons. MoJ is committed to
having the same data on privately run prisons as for those run
publicly. The proposal of including PFI prisons in the SOGE reporting
raises contractual issues which will need to be resolved prior
to the inclusion of these prisons; MoJ will be working towards
resolving these issues.
Government is content that departments report on
parts of their operational estate. Departments will want to report
on other parts of their estate, to ensure that they capture, manage
and report their impacts to as full an extent as possible. In
addition, for some sites, such as military bases and prisons it
is not possible to disaggregate the data for the office buildings
from the site as a whole. Government accepts that for such reporting
to be effective there is a need for greater consistency and transparency.
Government is currently reviewing of the SOGE targets,
to ensure that they reflect best practice; part of this review
will consider the scope of the current targets including how the
carbon emissions from the non-office estate should be reported.
5. Departments have made excellent progress
on increasing their use of green electricity contracts. We commend
the clear interest this shows across Government in demonstrating
leadership on green procurement. At the same time, the contribution
these green electricity contracts are making to the emissions—is
in fact highly uncertain, and may be very marginal. We note that
the Government is awaiting advice from Ofgem on whether departments'
use of "green tariffs" should be counted as reducing
their emissions. If Ofgem confirms that they should not be counted
in this way, we recommend that the target requiring departments
to increase their sourcing of renewable power is revised wholly
to exclude the purchase of "green tariff" electricity.
(Paragraph 25)
Government is currently reviewing the SOGE
framework, including the targets on carbon emissions and energy.
The purchase of green electricity sends an important signal to
the market about the demand for electricity generated from renewable
sources. However, Government recognises that it is difficult for
consumers to assess the environmental benefits of green tariffs.
In recognition of this, in June 2008 Defra
asked Ofgem to provide detailed guidelines
for suppliers of green tariffs with a view to developing a rating
system that will distinguish between the different environmental
potential of green tariffs. In addition, Government is working
with the chief executives of energy suppliers to ask them to provide
the clearest possible information about the benefit their green
tariff brings for the environment. Defra will consult on how these
benefits, could be treated in its voluntary reporting guidelines.
The forthcoming Carbon Reduction Commitment, which
will apply to all departments from 2010, will not allow departments
to claim reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from green tariffs,
and the current reporting position is consistent with this.
6. We are extremely disappointed with progress
on generating electricity from on-site and district renewables.
We recognise and support the Government's commitment to taking
"a leading position in implementing self-generation renewable
energy" through a renewable energy strategy that is currently
in development; however, it is a serious failing of the Government
that it is only now developing such a strategy. Given the wider
contribution to micro- and district renewables of taking a lead
through public procurement, Government use of self-generated renewable
power must be scaled up enormously as a top priority. We recommend
that this be made a key feature of departmental delivery plans,
with a senior individual—such as the Chief Sustainability
Officer—being made responsible for delivering this strategy
across Government. (Paragraph 28)
The Renewable Energy Strategy will be published in
spring 2009. Government will consider how best to implement the
renewable energy strategy when this has been completed.
A key part of the Delivery Plan published in August
was the departmental trajectories, detailing the plans departments
had put in place to deliver each of the SOGE targets. Five departments,
including DWP and HMRC, identified the installation of on-site
renewable energy facilities in their future plans for reducing
the carbon emissions from their estate. In addition, as a result
of the 2007 Biomass Strategy, all departments are undertaking
feasibility studies to identify the opportunities for biomass
boilers on their estates.
Support is available to departments through the Low
Carbon Buildings Programme, which offers grants for the installation
of micro-generation technologies, as well as Partnerships for
Renewables, a Carbon Trust enterprise which finances and manages
on-site renewable energy projects on public sector land.
7. The degree of confusion within Government
as to how the target of making its offices carbon neutral by 2012
is to be met, how much this will cost, and even how it will be
defined and what it will measure, is wholly unsatisfactory. These
essential issues must be worked out urgently. In particular, each
department's delivery plan should indicate what proportion of
its effort will be met by offsets and what by self-generation
in each year going forward. These projections should be updated
annually. (Paragraph 35)
DECC is currently leading work to define what is
meant by carbon neutrality for Government and the private sector.
Once this work is complete, CESP will work with them to review
the 2012 carbon neutrality target and the implications for departments'
delivery, including any potential costs arising from off-setting
based on forecast emissions levels.
8. In meeting this target from 2012 onwards,
it is important the Government does as much as possible to reduce
its own emissions, rather than simply relying on buying carbon
offsets. This is the surest way to guarantee that the stated amount
of emissions are actually being reduced, and should also prove
to be better value for money in the long-term. OGC should publish
calculations of the amount of money the Government expects to
spend on offsetting its own emissions every year from 2012, and
should use this to support the financial case for accelerated
development of on-site and district renewable generation to cut
departmental emissions at source. The Government should also look
at capping the use of offsets to meet this target, as a further
means of forcing progress in self-generation. (Paragraph 36)
The implications for departments' delivery of the
current carbon neutrality target and the potential need for off-sets
will be informed by the work currently being led by DECC to define
carbon neutrality. Government's guidance on the measurement and
delivery of the SOGE targets, published in August, emphasised
that off-setting is the last action to be taken, after departments
have reduced their emissions as far as is possible.
9. We welcome the Greening Government IT programme.
We recommend that this programme is made one of the single highest
priorities of the Chief Sustainability Officer, reporting to the
Cabinet Secretary. This would be to give it the attention it deserves,
given that increased use of IT would appear to be the biggest
single factor in the upward trend in emissions from civil departments
(up 22% since 1999-00). (Paragraph 38)
Government agrees that the Greening Government ICT
programme has a key role to play in supporting the delivery of
a more sustainable estate. The Chief Sustainability and Operating
Officer will work with the CIO council and Cabinet Office, which
lead the work on Greening Government ICT. Departments have already
identified a number of actions relating to the greening of ICT
in their delivery trajectories and CESP will work with the Cabinet
Office, the ICT Collaborative Category Team, and departments to
support the delivery of these plans and the associated carbon
emission reductions.
Early action taken in support of this agenda was
the OGC's work with DCMS to provide access to a framework agreement
for IT power management software. This system allows the automatic
shut down of PCs during non-working hours to reduce wasted energy.
It is estimated that by switching off PCs when not in use annual
energy cost savings of up to £10.2 million and carbon emission
reductions of up to 55,723 tonnes could be achieved.
10. Even though reducing the embodied emissions
in Government IT will have no effect on departments' recorded
emissions, it is important that the Greening Government IT programme
explicitly focuses on minimising them, given that most of the
carbon emissions arising from IT come from its manufacture and
disposal. We recommend that this programme includes efforts to
minimise demand for new IT equipment overall, to increase the
proportion of IT equipment that is reconditioned rather than bought
all-new, and to procure new equipment with the lowest embodied
emissions. (Paragraph 39)
Government accepts this recommendation. The Greening
Government ICT programme includes proposals to minimise the demand
for new equipment. The areas for ICT Carbon Reduction in the strategy
include the requirement to extend the lifecycle of all ICT purchases
to their natural demise either caused by failure, inability to
support business objectives, excessive maintenance costs or excessive
carbon footprint and energy consumption. Where equipment has reached
the end of life departments are encouraged to consider re-use
where possible. Where this cannot be the case then recycle options
(including distribution to alternative organisations) or green
disposal are highlighted as appropriate alternatives.
Departments are also being asked to procure more
energy efficient technology where possible and consider the use
of thin client devices where this is appropriate. The Green ICT
delivery sub group of the CTO council will continue to work with
Defra and CESP on the procurement model to deliver the most efficient
ICT estate. Work is now underway to define and agree ICT procurement
standards which address wider impacts, such as ease of upgrading
equipment and design and labelling of constituent parts for ease
of recycling.
11. In terms of tackling the emissions from
Government IT in operation, we would expect to see an emphasis
on tackling the energy consumption of both IT equipment itself
and the air conditioning required to keep it from overheating.
In addition to improving the energy efficiency of IT use, however,
we recommend that departments review their demand for electrical
equipment, and reduce it where possible. (Paragraph 40)
Government accepts this recommendation. It is important
that departments review their demand for electrical equipment
and reduce it where possible. The largest cooling requirement
for ICT is in the data centre. The Greening Government ICT strategy
published in July recommends that departments ensure that their
data centre efficiency is carefully managed and significant changes
brought about. This will include a significant reduction in the
number of servers and their utilisation. It is also recommended
that data centre manages reduce cooling in data centres to a more
appropriate level—as many are overcooled to prevent the
risk of failure. It has been shown that increasing temperature
in the data centre does not lead to a higher failure rate as was
previously thought.
This work will be supported by the forthcoming EU
Code of Conduct on Data Centres, which is due to be published
later this year. The EU Code of Conduct (CoC) is a European wide
voluntary initiative aiming to develop energy efficiency performance
standards for data centres. The Code provides the framework to
establish product metrics, market metrics, market surveillance,
in use best practice and supply chain communication. It is designed
to trigger action for data centres to improve energy performance
against itself and recognise those who do so. Participants will
commit to implement a subset of expected best practice and to
annually report energy consumption.
12. We recommend that the Government abolishes
its energy efficiency targets, since by measuring energy use per
square metre these give misleading pictures of departmental performance,
thus rendering the targets meaningless. Similar problems might
recur even if the target were changed to a per capita measure.
For this reason we recommend that the Government replaces its
energy efficiency targets with targets for reducing absolute levels
of energy use. (Paragraph 44)
Government is currently reviewing the SOGE
targets. It recognises the potential for the energy efficiency
target to provide misleading or skewed data when set in the context
of estate rationalisation. In the light of this recommendation
and that of the SDC in its 2008 SDiG report, Government committed
to review this target in the Delivery Plan published in August
2008, with OGC, Defra and DECC working to assess whether this
is the most appropriate measure.
13. By highlighting patchy information systems
and lack of compliance with mandatory policies, the SDC's report
reveals fundamental failings in the Sustainable Operations on
the Government Estate target and monitoring regime, raising questions
about its ability to effect progress and to hold failing departments
to account. (Paragraph 47)
Government recognises the value of an independent
watchdog in providing robust monitoring and challenge, ensuring
individual departments and Government as a whole remain accountable
for their performance. The response by Government to the SDiG
report this year, the subsequent establishment of the CESP and
publication of the Delivery Plan showed the value of the reporting
process in holding departments to account and driving improvements
in performance.
14. At the same time, we recognise that Office
of Government Commerce is taking steps to improve these systems,
notably the collection of real-time data from Government buildings.
We look forward to seeing considerable improvement in performance
as a result in the next two years. In particular, if the new role
for OGC, including the Centre of Expertise for Sustainable Procurement,
is to mean anything, we expect to see a sharp rise in compliance
with mandatory policies such as "Quick Wins". (Paragraph
47)
Government agrees with this recommendation. An early
priority for the CESP is to establish a pilot for the submission
of data on a more timely basis. Candidate departments have already
been identified, and it is expected that the first reporting will
start in December. Reporting in this way will both enable action
to be taken if performance improvements lack the pace required
in a specific area and also enable the identification of those
departments whose performance represents best practice, facilitating
the sharing of best practice and improving standards across government.
A key task for the CESP is to establish performance
reporting methodologies for all elements of the SOGE framework
and SPAP commitments, including the uptake of Quick Wins. This
will give visibility to those areas where performance does not
meet the desired levels, and will allow targeted action to be
taken to address this.
15. We find it unacceptable that 15% of executive
agencies do not report performance against their Sustainable Operations
on the Government Estate targets, even though this is mandatory.
OGC must ensure that all executive agencies report to the SDC
each year. All executive NDPBs either report their performance
separately, or do so within individual subsections of their parent
departments' reports. (Paragraph 50)
Government accepts that it is important that all
bodies covered by the existing SOGE framework report performance.
CESP will be working with departments to identify gaps in reporting,
raising any exclusions with permanent secretaries and developing
action plans to address any barriers which may currently prevent
an executive agency from meeting the reporting requirements.
A number of NDPBs already report against the SOGE
framework, either as separate entities contained with their parent
department's return, or where strategies of estate sharing mean
that their impacts are captured as part of the department's own
return. The number of NDPBs reporting in the 2007-08 SDiG process
has increased, and it is expected that data from 23 NDPBs will
be included in the 2008 SDiG report. Government is currently reviewing
the SOGE framework and part of this work will be to consider the
scope of the existing framework.
16. We welcome the Government's commitment
to ensuring that all outsourced operations are retained within
the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate regime, with
their environmental performance subject to their contracting department's
target and reporting requirements. At the same time we note that
this only applies to outsourced operations that take place on
property owned by Government bodies. We recommend that the Office
of Government Commerce reviews the practicalities of the Government's
mandating suppliers of services not based on site to report their
environmental data in respect of these contracts. (Paragraph 52)
Government is currently reviewing the SOGE targets,
to ensure that they reflect best practice; part of this review
will consider the scope of the current targets, including recommendations
on including out-sourced services in the reporting requirements.
It will be important to ensure that the full impact of government
operations is accounted for, while avoiding any potential double
counting where out-sourced service suppliers also report their
performance.
The CESP is also developing a programme of supplier
engagement which will support a greater understanding of the impact
of key supply chains on sustainable procurement and operations.
This will enable more informed engagement with suppliers on key
issues like carbon emissions, and ensure that Government can work
in partnership with its suppliers, including those who provide
out-sourced services, to reduce the impact of the services and
products we buy.
17. While we are encouraged to learn that
there is much activity to improve the sustainability of other
parts of the public sector, the fact remains that there are no
systematic and comprehensive assessments of progress. In the interests
of public accountability, and in order to help to drive up performance
consistently throughout the public sector, we recommend that OGC,
relevant departments, and the SDC develop comprehensive annual
assessments of progress in important sectors such as NHS bodies
and schools. (Paragraph 53)
Government is committed to ensuring sustainable procurement
and sustainable operations are fully embedded throughout the public
sector. There are already established programmes to address sustainability
in the wider public sector, such as the Building Schools for the
Future programme. DCSF and the Department for Health both have
Sustainable Development Actions Plans which address the key sustainability
issues for their sectors. The SDC is engaged with these programmes,
providing support and oversight of their performance, including
recently published reports on the carbon emissions from the NHS
estate and carbon foot-printing in schools.
From April 2008, local authorities are required to
report emissions from their own operations, including those from
schools, under National Indicator 185, part of the Local Government
Performance Framework.
As an example of work underway, the Department of
Health is engaged with the NHS estate and operations on sustainability
issues. The Department routinely collects information from the
NHS via the Estates Returns Information Collection system (ERIC).
This system holds historical data from which the Department can
base policy and strategic decisions affecting the NHS. The Department
used this data to report progress against the energy/carbon reduction
mandatory target set from 2000 to 2010.
Since 1990 the Department has set energy saving targets
on the NHS. As a consequence of the Climate Change Programme in
1998-99, the Department set more stringent and challenging targets,
including performance indicators and setting the parameters across
energy saving and also carbon efficiency cuts.
To achieve this, two sets of mandatory targets for
NHS bodies in England have been introduced:
1. to reduce the level of primary energy consumption
by 15% or 0.15 MtC (million tonnes carbon) from March 2000 to
March 2010[1];
2. to achieve a target of 35-55 GJ/100 cu.m energy
efficiency performance for the healthcare estate[2]
for all new capital developments and major redevelopments or refurbishments;
and that all existing facilities should achieve a target of 55-65
Gj/100 cu.m.
Progress towards this target is monitored via the
Department's ERIC database, and a report produced in 2005 Statistics
on energy performance and carbon and CO2 emissions—NHS
England, 1999-00 to 2004-5 with predictions to 2009-10.
18. We invite the House of Commons Commission
and the Administration Committee to consider how to ensure the
House of Commons sets and meets demanding targets for improving
the sustainability of the Parliamentary Estate, and for reporting
its performance annually. (Paragraph 55)
Government welcomes this recommendation and encourages
the Parliamentary Estate to establish a framework of targets and
reporting. CESP would be happy to share examples of best practice
to inform this work.
19. Considering the significant nature of
the Government's response to this year's SDiG report, we agree
that the Sustainable Development Commission is playing a significant
role in stimulating Government to improve its performance. (Paragraph
57)
Government agrees with these findings; it recognises
the value an independent watchdog can bring, and welcomes this
recognition of the importance of the SDC's role.
20. At the same time, we recommend that the
SDC reviews whether its presentation of performance in the annual
SDiG reports could be made more straightforward, including—where
necessary—being more critical. (Paragraph 58)
Government agrees with these findings; it recognises
the value an independent watchdog can bring, and welcomes this
recognition of the importance of the SDC's role.
21. We recommend that the SDC looks again
at its practice of simply reporting the data as given to it by
departments. Currently, where it has reservations about the figures,
it only expresses these in separate commentary sections. For example,
the SDC's press release on the recent SDiG report stated that
"overall carbon emissions from offices have fallen by 4%
since 1999", despite the fact that this figure had been discredited
elsewhere in the report. (Paragraph 59)
Government agrees with these findings; it recognises
the value an independent watchdog can bring, and welcomes this
recognition of the importance of the SDC's role.
22. The departmental delivery plans that the
Office of Government Commerce is overseeing are a major step forward.
They should not be a one-off exercise, but should be done annually,
to set out clearly what progress each department is making, and
a revised series of actions needed to meet their targets in the
light of that progress. (Paragraph 62)
Government welcomes this recommendation. The CESP
established within OGC has committed to updating the Delivery
Plan every six months, including updating delivery trajectories
where relevant. The next iteration of the Delivery Plan will included
revised trajectories to reflect the most recent data verified
by the SDC and a progress report on the commitments made in the
summer.
23. We welcome the reform to incorporate sustainability
goals in the personal objectives of the Cabinet Secretary and
all Permanent Secretaries. We expect this to have a tangible effect
on the forcefulness and coherence of departments' response to
these issues, and look forward to the increase in accountability
for such performance to Parliament this should bring. We recommend
the Government clarifies which minister has overall responsibility
for this agenda—preferably a senior cabinet minister. We
also recommend the Government indicates how performance against
these objectives will be reflected in terms of career rewards
and prospects. (Paragraph 65)
Government accepts this recommendation. The lead
Minister for this work was appointed in August and is the Cabinet
Office Parliamentary Secretary, Tom Watson. This Minister is also
the Minister responsible for the delivery of the Greening Government
ICT programme, ensuring that these two key initiatives benefit
from a single point of leadership in driving the necessary change.
The Cabinet Secretary has made the delivery of the
government's commitments on sustainable procurement and operations
one of the four corporate priorities for the civil service, ensuring
it remains a key agenda. Each Permanent Secretary has a performance
objective relating to their department's delivery, and CESP will
support the process of evaluating this performance.
24. We hope that these new personal responsibilities
for sustainability will also provide a mechanism for encouraging
senior civil servants to treat their departments' sustainable
development action plans (SDAPs) seriously, and see to it that
departmental policy is more consistent with sustainability objectives.
In the future we may choose to review, department by department,
the extent to which SDAPs are being integrated into departmental
policies and activities. (Paragraph 66)
Government agrees that it is important that departments
consider sustainability in all aspects of their policies and activities
and the SDAP process plays a key role in helping departments to
identify opportunities and areas which need to be addressed. The
process is well established, with departments updating the SDAP
regularly. The SDC is invited to review and comment on departments'
SDAPs and provides valuable feedback.
25. Beyond the senior civil service, personal
responsibility for sustainability issues must be increased at
all levels. This will require more training and incentives. The
evidence we have received highlights the important role that operational
staff in procurement and facilities teams have to play. We recommend
that OGC works with civil service unions to ensure that staff
are trained, motivated, and empowered to take a leading role in
mainstreaming sustainability in Government operations. (Paragraph
69)
Government accepts this recommendation. CESP officials
have met with representatives of the Civil Service Trade Union
Side and will continue to work with them to address both training
and capacity issues, and promote general awareness of sustainability
issues.
The existing practitioners' forum will form a key
part of the delivery of sustainability. It provides an opportunity
for operational staff from estates management and procurement
to meet and discuss challenges and share best practice; the most
recent events included a conference of over 100 practitioners
from central and local government and a practitioner forum of
over 20 procurement and operations professional from central government.
Working with this stakeholder forum, and other key bodies, including
the National School of Government and the civil service trade
unions, the CESP is developing a programme of work to address
training and capability needs for the next three year within the
civil service, ensuring staff are equipped with the skills and
support they need to deliver this agenda.
26. The sixth annual SDiG report reveals,
behind the figures, very poor progress in tackling carbon emissions
from the majority of departments. The Government response has
announced many promising reforms; that there was a Government
response to the SDC for the first time was itself a big step in
the right direction. What is crucial now is that departments make
good on this promise by adding detail to these plans and accelerating
progress in tackling carbon emissions and increasing on-site and
district renewables. In particular, rapid progress needs to be
made on reducing demand for electricity, and increasing on-site
and district generation of electricity from low and no-carbon
sources. (Paragraph 70)
The Government accepts this recommendation. The Government's
response to the 6th annual SDiG report highlighted
examples of good practice which had taken place since the period
covered by the SDC's report. This was developed further by the
publication of the Delivery Plan, a key next step for departments
in setting out their plans to reduce carbon emissions. The majority
of these plans focus on reducing demand for energy on the estate,
through behaviour change, the use of more technologies to reduce
demand such as voltage optimisation, and estate rationalisation.
The delivery of these plans will be supported by
the CESP and also the programme of collaborative procurement for
energy, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and supported by
the OGC collaborative procurement team. The programme seeks to
deliver both value for money and sustainability benefits through
the implementation of a collaborative strategy for energy procurement;
a key element of this is to manage the demand for energy, reducing
the volumes required by public sector bodies. This work includes
the letting of the IT power management software framework, a joint
exercise with DCMS, and future work to provide access to Automatic
Meter Reading Equipment and a potential framework for voltage
optimisation services.
October 2008
1 DETR Climate Change Programme Back
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NHS Estates Developing an Estate Strategy Back
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