Source · National Audit Office

Measuring and reporting public sector greenhouse gas emissions

Published: 10 Jun 2022 Recommendations: 4 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 4 Department: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

This report examines if government is achieving its ambition for the public sector to be a leader in decarbonising its activities.

Dept: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Topics: Climate change and net zeroEnergy and environmentEvaluation and reportingProject and service delivery nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

4 items

4 accepted 4 implemented

Rec	Recommendation	Addressee	Acceptance	Implementation
1	d) BEIS, Defra and HM Treasury should rationalise emissions measurement and reporting guidance. The departments should agree a timeline for introducing its measurement and reporting framework that sets clear expectations for the public sector. Whenever possible, separate guidance documents should be consolidated. When this cannot be done, the departments should ensure that separate guidance is consistent and fully aligned with the government?s strategic decarbonisation targets. Ref Page 13, paragraph 19, point d · Implemented Q2 2023-24	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; HM Treasury	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
2	a) The government should strengthen the coordination of work at the centre of government on the measurement and reporting of public sector emissions. Several government departments issue guidance for measuring and reporting emissions but these efforts lack coherence and clarity. As the sector begins to tackle the challenges of decarbonisation, the government should ensure that there are clear lines of responsibility and accountability for coordinating efforts to improve the measurement and reporting of emissions across the public sector. Ref Page 13, paragraph 19, point a · Implemented Q2 2023-24	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
3	b) BEIS should ensure that appropriate emissions data are reported from the whole public sector. Decarbonisation goals have been set for the entire public sector, but only central government is currently required to measure and report emissions under the GGC framework. BEIS should review the adequacy of current measurement and reporting practice beyond the current central government GGC boundary to ensure that appropriate data are being collated to demonstrate progress towards the decarbonisation goal. Ref Page 13, paragraph 19, point b · Implemented Q2 2023-24	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
4	c) BEIS, working with other departments, should ensure that the shorter-term GGC targets are sufficiently aligned with the longer-term decarbonisation goals. Taken together, the GGC targets set over the shorter-term, should reflect a clear and sufficient trajectory for the public sector to deliver on the longer-term decarbonisation goals. Ref Page 13, paragraph 19, point c · Implemented Q3 2022-23	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.

2 Nov 2022 Public Accounts C… Twenty-Third Report - Measuring and reporting public sector greenhouse gas emissions — 11 recommendations · parliament.uk