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There has been some progress against targets for sustainable operations on the government estate. But the Sustainable Development Commission has found that in 2007-08 the Government was not on track to meet its target for the reduction of carbon emissions from its own buildings.
In 2007-08 the Government was on track to meet its targets for recycling and for the sourcing of electricity from renewable sources, but it performed less well than it had in 2006-07. This is not good enough. It must continue to improve the sustainability of its operations each year.
The ease with which the Government continues to meet some targets, even when its performance worsens, indicates the urgent need for the Government to set itself stringent targets that match the high level of ambition of its own policies on climate change and sustainable development.
Under the current system, only central government departments and their Executive Agencies are required to report their performance against the targets. We urge the Government to extend a system of targets and monitoring to the wider public sector, including its outsourced operations.
The Government has the potential to drive change in the wider economy through sustainable procurement, through investment in low carbon technologies and by driving the development of "green" skills in the workforce. But the Sustainable Development Commission found that Government performed poorly against its own targets. The Government must use its buying power to drive progress towards a greener economy.
The Government has made changes to the governance of its sustainable operations. But the Sustainable Development Commission has found that many of these changes have been confusing or ineffective. The Government must ensure that there is a clear line of accountability for these matters, and the Cabinet Office Minister responsible must take an active role in overseeing performance management.
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