The government is failing to meet basic targets on carbon emissions, water and waste according to a scathing report by its own green watchdog.

The study by the Sustainable Development Commission has revealed that 15 government departments have increased carbon emissions since 1999 and that departments have generated 14% more waste than last year and are using energy less efficiently.

“Given that the government wants the public sector to be a leading exponent of sustainable development and this is the fifth such assessment of government operations, overall performance is hugely disappointing,” says the report. “No department can make a reasonable claim to have met the requirements of all the targets assessed. And the majority of departments need to raise their game significantly to cope with the challenges of the new targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate launched in June 2006”.

There was some positive news. The report includes evidence that most departments are incorporating sustainable design features into new builds and major refurbishment projects and that the government is buying 3% more of its energy from renewable energy suppliers compared to last year.

Source

Building Sustainable Design