Carbon Neutral Public Service

In February 2007, the New Zealand government announced a plan for the public service to go carbon neutral. Further details were provided throughout 2007, including in the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, released in October 2007. Plans include: 1) Carbon neutral public service: six lead core public service agencies to be carbon neutral by mid-2012. The remaining 28 public service departments to be on the path to carbon neutrality by mid-2012. 2) Procurement policies: public service departments to have incorporated sustainability into a single procurement policy, and recommendations made on applying sustainable procurement policies to the wider state sector, by November 2007. 3) Public service accommodation: departments are to adopt a minimum five- star Green Star New Zealand rating for the construction of all new Grade A office buildings and refurbishments from 1 July 2007; all new government buildings are to meet a minimum five-star rating from 2012. 4) Reduction in public sector energy use: departments are to take action to achieve a 10% reduction in energy use per FTE. Departments will also reduce the use of energy-intensive consumables such as paper by 10%. In March 2009 the Carbon Neutral Public Service programme was discontinued. However, Government signalled its expectations that chief executives of all public service departments would continue to take practical action to reduce their impacts on the environment where it makes economic sense. This would include taking a "whole of life" approach when procuring goods and services; minimising waste sent to landfills; using resources, including energy and water, more efficiently; improving planning, design and construction when commissioning and operating buildings; and adopting transport policies that minimise their environmental impact. In addition targets remain in the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (see entry 3770).

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