UK Climate Change Programme 2006 - JNCC - Defra

Public sector
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associated with climate change. It goes beyond
energy management, enabling organisations to
consider their strategy and operations in the
context of climate change. As well as reducing
carbon emissions, the benefits include cost
savings, clarity around responses to legislation
and operational improvements.
Public sector procurement
30. The Government is ideally placed to lead by
example, through its procurement of goods,
services and buildings. With a budget of over
£125bn, the wider public sector can build
markets for new and improved products and
services, such as systems for the generation of
renewable electricity and renewable heat and
through pursuing higher standards of energy
performance. Sustainable procurement is a key
lever to achieve this, from developers to
architects, engineers, construction companies and
facilities managers, the skills and mentality to
deliver and operate low-carbon buildings could
develop quickly across both public and private
sectors if the public sector takes the lead.
31. In 2003 the Government implemented a range
of measures to encourage central government
departments to apply minimum environmental
standards across a wide range of commonly
purchased products. To help Government
departments meet these standards the Sustainable
Procurement Group identified 19 energy
consumption-focused ‘Quick Wins’ which are
off-the-shelf procurement specifications. These
were published in the OGC Buying Solutions
(OGCbs) website 9 , along with corresponding
procurement frameworks. The Government has
since committed to extending and updating the
list of Quick Wins. Proposals to extend them to
31 energy consumption focused products have
been published in the Government’s Market
Transformation Programme and OGC’s websites.
32. The future direction and scope of this initiative
will take into account the views of the
Sustainable Procurement Task Force. Established
in May 2005 under the chairmanship of Sir
Neville Simms, the Sustainable Procurement Task
Force is set up to draw up an action plan by
spring 2006, to bring a step-change in
sustainable public procurement so that the UK
is among the leaders in the EU by 2009.
33. Energy is also set to play its part in meeting the
wider target, set by the Gershon report, to
generate £22bn public sector savings by March
2008. The Public Sector Efficiency Review for
Energy is a project, managed by OGCbs, to
generate £200m energy savings, through
developing innovation in energy procurement,
improving the management of energy through
better metering and clearer billing and increasing
conservation activity. A Pan-Government Energy
Forum, which includes key stakeholders from the
public and private sectors, will ensure that the
project leverages good work, and avoids
duplication of activity in different departments.
Central Government
34. Targets for the Government Estate are being
reviewed as part of the UK Sustainable
Development Strategy commitment to improve
the Government’s performance and ensure it
leads by example. Targets on energy and climate
change are two key areas for the review.
35. The Government launched the Sustainable
Development Framework for the Government
Estate 10 in 2002 which included a range of
environmental targets. The six energy targets
focus on reducing the amount of energy used,
and hence carbon dioxide emitted, increasing
energy efficiency and sourcing energy from more
sustainable sources. There are also transport
targets for reducing emissions from road
transport.
36. Progress is being made in many areas. For
example most departments have continued to
reduce their fossil fuel use per unit floor area since
2000. Overall, the combined average total of the
amount of electricity sourced from renewable
sources for the departments and their agencies is
19 per cent, suggesting that the central
9 www.ogcbs.gov.uk/environmental/newsroom/articles/downloads/Min Env Standards.DOC
10 www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/delivery/integrating/estate/energy-intro.htm