52% of UK public sector bodies are not planning for net zero carbon

Despite the UK Government’s hope for net zero emissions by 2050, 52% of public sector bodies and quangos are not yet planning for that eventuality. 

The ECA issued a freedom of information request to 149 public sector bodies in March 2020 on their energy usage and planning, with 78 responding to the request. Of those that responded, just 30% said they were planning towards net zero carbon by 2050, while a further 18% said they were partially planning for the legally mandated requirement. That’s hugely embarrassing for the UK Government, which has treated the carbon zero target as a flagship policy. 

Even more embarrassing is the fact that 53% of respondents did not even know the 2018 carbon footprint of their organisation’s headquarters. 

Luke Osborne, ECA energy advisor, commented, “These findings show that many public sector bodies have major work to do if they are to meet the Government’s legally binding commitment for net zero carbon by 2050.

“ECA urges all public sector bodies to lead by example and get zero carbon done, by monitoring their energy usage, as well as quickly putting into place plans for the next 30 years.”

Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom. 47% of the public bodies that responded noted that they had a plan in place to generally reduce carbon emissions relating to their built assets, which include offices and other facilities. 18% said they did not have a plan, while the remaining 35% said they did not know.

Of course, the UK Government has made 2050 a legally binding target, so surely at some point the public sector should lead by example and actually work towards achieving that target. Right?