All UK central government departments and their agencies will be carbon neutral within six years in an attempt to model environmentally sustainable behavior to business and consumers. Once carbon neutrality is reached, the government has set an additional target to reduce carbon emissions from government offices by 30 percent by the year 2020.
The measures to make government buildings carbon neutral will save at estimated 800,000 metric tons of carbon by 2012 – the equivalent of taking 750,000 cars off the road.
The new UK initiative was launched to coincide with the release of a report by the Sustainable Procurement Task Force. Chairperson, Sir Neville Simms, said “The message from the Task Force is simple: this is worth doing, it is not difficult, it will not cost more in the medium term and the dividends it will bring in the long term are clear.”
The government will also be working to reduce water consumption by 25 percent and to increase energy efficiency by 30 percent per square metre by 2020. The Government has already introduced carbon offsetting mandate for official air travel.
More
- ‘Procuring the Future’ – The Sustainable Procurement Task Force National Action Plan – published June 2006
- New Rules Project: Climate Neutral Bonding Initiative
