Greener government could be derailed by quango cuts, say MPs

10 Jan 11
The government’s green agenda is at risk following the axing of the Sustainable Development Commission, MPs have warned.

By Vivienne Russell

10 January 2011

The government’s green agenda is at risk following the axing of the Sustainable Development Commission, MPs have warned.

Established in 2000, the commission helps Whitehall departments develop their environmental policies. It also has a watchdog role, reporting on the sustainability of government operations and policies.

But it was announced in the summer that the SDC would be scrapped as part of a wider quango cull. This decision prompted the Commons environmental audit select committee to investigate what structures and mechanisms could replace it.

The MPs found that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was not best placed to police green activities across departments. Their report recommended that the Cabinet Office take on this responsibility, backed up by the Treasury.

Committee chair Joan Walley said: ‘The sustainability agenda needs to be driven from the centre of government. Defra has the expertise, but it does not have the influence to get the rest of government to act more sustainably.’

The report recommends the creation of a new minister for sustainable development who would ‘sustainability proof’ decision-making across government.

This minister, who would be based in the Cabinet Office, would hold other ministers to account if they failed to meet their green targets. The minister should also work with the Treasury to consider placing financial sanctions on departments with poor sustainability performance.

A Defra spokesman said sustainable development was the responsibility of the whole of government and acknowledged there was room for improvement.

He said: ‘This is why the secretary of state proposed to the environmental audit committee that it should take on the role of auditing the progress all departments are making on sustainable development. Defra will continue to promote sustainable development and test new policies for all departments from this perspective. Defra is working with the Cabinet Office to review progress across departments as part of the regular appraisal of business plans. This triple-lock is the best way of ensuring progress is being made.’

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