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Environmental sustainability

Protecting the natural environment for future generations requires co-ordinated action across government and a thorough understanding of the long term implications of decisions. Meeting climate change targets, for example, will require radical changes in energy, transport and housing by 2050. Improving air quality involves the environment and transport departments as well as local government.

To achieve real change government needs to ensure there is clear ownership for sustainability in government. This is particularly important in times of austerity, to avoid issues being side-lined under competing pressures. Environmental considerations should be an integral part of departments' planning and decision making processes, with rigorous arrangements for monitoring policy delivery and for holding people to account for performance. Government needs to understand the link between environmental sustainability and economic growth.

Key NAO publications:

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Early 2021

Environmental tax measures

Tax measures which have an environmental impact act alongside government’s wider environmental objectives. As these objectives have become more ambitious, the role of the tax system may become more important. HM Treasury’s 2020-21 review into funding the transition to a net zero greenhouse gas economy explicitly plans to “consider the full range of government levers, … Read more

Posted 30 October 2020 in: ,

Performance Improvement area(s):

Contact:

NAO Press Office
+44 (0)20 7798 7400 or email pressoffice@nao.org.uk

Late 2020

Achieving net zero

In June 2019, the government passed legislation committing it to achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This means that the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions should be equal to or less than the emissions the UK removes from the environment either by the natural environment or carbon capture technologies. Achieving net zero will … Read more

Posted 17 September 2020 in:

Performance Improvement area(s):

Contact:

NAO Press Office
+44 (0)20 7798 7400 or email pressoffice@nao.org.uk