Sustainable Development in Government 2008: Challenges for Government

Source: Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) website

The Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report 2008 calls on the Government to set more ambitious targets for improving sustainability on the Government estate in order to lead by example and contribute to UK-wide targets on climate change and resource depletion.

In December last year, the SDC published the data showing each department's performance against its targets. The assessment for 2008 found that Government is starting to get to grips with its sustainable operations targets, with improvements on waste, water, and travel; but carbon emissions from offices are still not on track.

In this report, the SDC uses the data as the basis for a more forward-looking assessment which appraises how well the government is doing to meet broad sustainability goals. It looks at whether government has met its own targets, but also assesses whether these targets are helping government to make progress in crucial areas such as tackling climate change.

The report found that Government is not yet on track to meet all of the Sustainable Procurement Action Plan (SPAP) commitments and urgently needs to address these if it is to become an EU leader in sustainable procurement by the end of 2009.

The report highlights issues with both the data and the processes that act as barriers to further progress against sustainable operations and procurement goals. These issues go beyond the SOGE Framework and are central to making further progress on the wider sustainability agenda. The report also offers recommendations which will help government and departments build the capability and develop the solutions to overcome these barriers.

To download the report click here

More information on the SDiG Assessment 2008 is available here

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