NAO report finds government green failings
Nine out ten new buildings not meeting standards
A new report by the National Audit
Office has found that nine out of ten new government buildings or
refurbishments fail to meet the energy and water efficiency standards the
government has set itself.
The watchdog found that at least £20m a year is being wasted and extra
pollution emitted because long term savings were not being achieved in the
£3bn-a-year building programme.
In 2005, only 37 out of 106 new builds and 61 out of 335 refurbishments
projects had carried out, or planned to carry out, environmental assessments.
Last year, only 41 out of 441 projects achieved the standards.
Edward Leigh MP, the chairman of
the public accounts committee, said: ‘There is little hope that departments will
meet the hugely challenging operational targets they now face – including carbon
neutrality by 2012 and massive reductions in water consumption and waste.
Despite its green rhetoric, the government is clearly failing to put its own
house in order.’
Further reading:
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