The Government has been accused by MPs of failing to give an effective lead on cutting damaging greenhouse gas emissions, despite having set a legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said “vague” guidelines and “fragmented” responsibilities within Whitehall meant fewer than half of all government departments were complying with mandatory reporting requirements on emission levels.
It warned that “inconsistent” reporting of data across the public sector made it difficult to compare performance and risked undermining confidence in reported progress towards the 2050 target. Oversight of emissions reporting across Whitehall is split three ways – with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis), the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) all having a role.
As a result, the committee said, the guidance they issued to other departments was “too vague” and compliance was “low”, with some departments doing little to address the issue. “Leadership and oversight of emissions measurement and reporting in central government is fragmented and ineffective,” it said.
