Ministry of Justice failing to meet key environmental standards

Friday 02 Feb 2018 @ 10:05
Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries

The Environmental Audit Committee publishes its report on the Ministry of Justice's environmental sustainability.

The Ministry has the second largest estate of any Government department and has stated that it wants to ‘embed sustainability in everything it does’. Despite this, the report notes that the Ministry has failed to meet its own environmental targets in a number of key areas; carbon targets, BREEAM building Certification, ultra-low emissions vehicles, and contractor oversight, now more important than ever after the Carillion collapse.

Mary Creagh, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said:

“As the Government launches its 25 year environment plan, this key Ministry should lead from the front by reducing its environmental footprint.

“The Ministry is failing to meet many of its own unambitious targets. It should ensure that it delivers on its current environmental commitments and set new, ambitious targets as soon as possible.

“The Government should also review the oversight and governance arrangements of contractors’ performance. This is all the more important following the collapse of Carillion, who managed approximately 50 prison service sites.”

The Committee found that:

Ultra-low emissions vehicles make up less than 1% of its fleet.
64% of its refurbishment and new build projects have no final BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification.
Only two of the Ministry’s ten ‘Sites of Scientific Interest’ are in a favourable condition.
Its Single Departmental Plan makes no mention of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ministry has not systematically undertaken environmental impact assessments for new policies and its sustainability strategies are mainly internal.
The Ministry had already exceeded its carbon emission reduction target for 2019-20 in 2016-17.

The Committee calls on the Ministry of Justice to:

Set out stretching green targets for 2019-20 which develop its sustainability policies.
Systematically collect environmental rating certificates for all its refurbishment and new built projects.
Improve its oversight of sustainability matters within the Ministry.
Improve its oversight and governance arrangements of contractors’ performance.
Show leadership to the rest of central government in terms of sustainability.

Channel website: http://www.parliament.uk/

Original article link: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news-parliament-2017/moj-environmental-sustainability-report-publication-17-19/

Share this article

Latest News from
Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries

Government rejects Committee’s calls for increased parliamentary scrutiny of treaties

18/04/2024 13:05:00

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) today publishes the Government’s response to its report on scrutiny of international treaties.

New select committee proposed to provide scrutiny of highly confidential spending

15/04/2024 13:05:00

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today calls for the establishment of a new select committee, to consider sound financial practice and value for money in sensitive areas which are outside the remit of the statutory Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

Government should learn lessons from pandemic to improve communications and counter misinformation

12/04/2024 15:05:00

Scientists working across government should be allowed and encouraged to take on a wider public facing role in the media to combat the spread of misinformation, a report from MPs says today.

MPs call for copyright changes and new champion for freelancers to improve precarious pay and working conditions in creative industries

10/04/2024 13:05:00

Many successful musicians, actors, writers and visual artists are struggling to make a living due to gaps in copyright protection, a lack of support for freelancers and unpredictable returns from music streaming, MPs warn today.

Equity in cricket: ECB must closely monitor Yorkshire to ensure no return to ‘business as usual’, MPs say

05/04/2024 14:05:00

The ECB must closely monitor Yorkshire CCC to ensure there is no return to the ‘business as usual’ that allowed a culture of discrimination to take root and thrive at the club, MPs say today.

Government must clamp down on unregulated canine fertility clinics and unlicensed pet breeders, say MPs

05/04/2024 12:25:00

The EFRA Committee wants the Government to address the fact that more than half of the puppies entering the market come from unlicensed breeders, and is today calling for a list of licensed breeders to be made public, and a change in the licensing regulations so as to include breeders of two or more litters a year, in order to counter low welfare breeding practices and provide assurance to buyers.

Committee urges Government to hold aviation industry accountable for emissions reductions

04/04/2024 14:05:00

The Environmental Audit Committee has urged the Government to hold the aviation industry accountable for its proposed emissions reductions, as it publishes the Government’s response to its report on net zero aviation.

Shared ownership is failing to deliver an affordable route to homeownership, say MPs

28/03/2024 16:05:00

Shared ownership schemes are drastically failing to deliver an affordable route to homeownership for too many people and subject buyers to rising rents, uncapped service charges, and a disproportionate exposure to repair and maintenance costs, says the cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee in a report published today (Thursday).

MPs call for statutory sick pay reform to address inadequate financial support for workers most in need

28/03/2024 14:30:00

Statutory sick pay (SSP) is failing to provide enough support for those who most need financial help when ill and should be increased and made more widely available, MPs say today.

WIREDGOV