Home / Sources / Select Committees / Public Accounts Committee / Measuring and reporting public sector g…
Index live · Last sync 23 May 2026
Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Measuring and reporting public sector greenhouse gas emissions

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Jun 2022 Closed: 24 Feb 2023 11 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

In June 2019, the government committed in law to achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The overall responsibility for achieving net zero was assigned to the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy which published the Net Zero Strategy two years later in October 2021, committing government and wider public sector to lead …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Twenty-Third Report - Measuring and reporting public sector… HC 39 2 Nov 2022 18 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
3 Recommendation Twenty-Third Report - Measuring and rep… Acknowledged

Leadership and oversight of emissions measurement and reporting in central government is fragmented and ineffective.

Leadership and oversight of emissions measurement and reporting in central government is fragmented and ineffective. At present, there are at least three departments issuing guidance to central government bodies on how to measure and report emissions. However, the guidance is not consistent nor is it user-friendly as it is scattered …

Government response. The government acknowledges that there are cases where different documents may be required for different purposes. In late 2022, the updated GGCs Reporting Requirements resolved terminology differences between the GGCs and SRG, and HM Treasury has provided further clarifications in …
HM Treasury
12 Conclusion Twenty-Third Report - Measuring and rep… Acknowledged

At present, BEIS, Defra and HM Treasury play important roles in setting expectations for public...

At present, BEIS, Defra and HM Treasury play important roles in setting expectations for public sector emissions reporting, with a number of other bodies, such as the Department for Transport and Office for Government Property also playing more minor roles in issuing guidance.29 BEIS explained that it is the lead …

Government response. Government acknowledges the fragmented leadership and agrees to consolidate, simplify, and clarify current measuring and reporting guidance. A timeline for this will be set out in Summer 2023.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
4 Jul 2022 Ben Rimmington · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, David Hill · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Sarah Munby · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Steve Field · HM Treasury View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
8 Sep 2022 — Correspondence from Sarah Munby, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Department…