Government Launches New Sustainability Office

The Government has announced the creation of a new body to tackle carbon emissions in Whitehall. The new Centre of Expertise for Sustainable Procurement will help Government departments to cut waste and reduce their carbon emissions. A new post has also been created in the Government Chief Sustainability Officer to embed a ‘culture of change’ across departments.

Alongside the creation of the new Centre, the Government has accepted the recommendations of the 2007 Sustainable Development in Government report. Measures to be taken across Whitehall include phasing out bottled water in meetings and the launch of a major ‘green’ IT programme across Government in the summer. Also from the summer, all new vehicles for ministers and permanent secretaries will emit less than 130g/km of carbon. From 2010, the Government will join the Carbon Reduction Commitment, an innovative carbon trading scheme (on which DEFRA is currently consulting) to cover all government departments, banks, retailers and local authorities, to compel them to reduce their carbon emissions.