AQW 15769/17-22 Written question to the Minister of Finance
To ask the Minister of Finance what steps are being taken to move the government estate towards net-zero.
Asked by John Blair MLA on 3 March 2021
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 3 March 2021
- Answer due by
- 19 March 2021
- Answered
- 22 March 202119 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Finance
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The Department of Finance (DoF) is responsible for managing the Civil Service Office Estate, which equates to around 4% of the total Public Sector energy consumption here.
DoF aims, through its Office Estate Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction plans, to achieve culminative energy savings and consequential reductions in carbon. These savings support and feed into the wider Energy Management Strategy and Action Plan to 2030 for Central Government introduced by the Department for Economy (DfE)
By implementing Connect 2 regional hubs, footfall in regional locations should increase, thereby reducing commuting frequencies and distances. This, in turn, should lead to reductions in carbon emissions, helping to improve the sustainability of how we work and protect the environment.
Further to this, new or refurbished DoF buildings undergo BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) appraisal and the use of energy efficient installations has been incorporated into the Civil Service Accommodation Standards specification.