Reducing carbon emissions from cars
This report examines how well the government has used public money to support the uptake of ultra-low emission cars.
26 Feb 2021
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:
This report examines how well the government has used public money to support the uptake of ultra-low emission cars.
This report examines how HM Treasury and HMRC manage tax measures that have an impact on the environment.
This study will examine how effectively central government and local government are working together on net zero.
This report will examine whether the Environmental Land Management scheme has been designed to meet the government’s strategic policy objectives.
This report applies experience from auditing cross-government challenges to highlight the risks government needs to manage to achieve net zero.
This report evaluates whether government’s approach to managing the risks of flooding and coastal erosion is achieving value for money.
This report examines how government has set itself up to deliver its long-term environmental goals.
This report examines how far the Ministry of Defence has embedded environmental sustainability in estate management, procurement, governance and policy-making.
This report sets out the challenges facing the water industry in England and assesses how Defra is tackling them.
The NAO is publishing a suite of Departmental Overviews, one for each government department and a selection of cross-government issues, to assist House of Commons Select Committees and Members of Parliament.