Carbon Neutral Public Service Programme Reduction Plan for Ministry of Defence
February 2008
The Government has committed to moving towards a carbon neutral public service.
The Ministry of Defence is one of the 28 stage two core public service agencies that will be on the path to carbon neutrality by the year 2012.
Reducing emissions is an important step in the context of carbon neutrality. Having measured the emissions, it is necessary to undertake reduction activities that will reduce emissions as much as practical and cost effective. The remaining emissions will then be offset to make the core public service carbon neutral.
The role of the reduction plan is to identify and record opportunities and initiatives that help to reduce emissions.
Organisational Overview
The Ministry of Defence is a small public service department which supports the Government’s defence policy in its roles of: policy advice, acquisition of major items of equipment and audit and assessment. It has approximately 60 permanent staff located mainly in Wellington. There are five temporary offices located in Melbourne, Marseilles, Texas, Alabama and Edmonton, which oversee specific acquisition projects. Because of the temporary nature of these offices and the costs of collecting emissions data, these overseas offices are excluded from this plan.
Ministry of Defence’s Current Position
The Ministry of Defence recently completed its first Carbon Emission Inventory Report for the period 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007.
This indicated that the main emission source for the Ministry is air travel. This comprises approximately 64% of the Ministry’s total emissions. The Ministry will investigate ways of reducing the emissions produced by this source, as a priority, while acknowledging that air travel will continue to be essential for the conduct of the Ministry’s business. Purchased electricity (including transmission and distribution lines losses) is responsible for approximately 22% of the Ministry’s emissions. As the Ministry relocated to a new building, which incorporates energy efficient features, it is not expected that major reductions would be able to be made in this area initially.
The key sponsor for the Carbon Neutral Public Service Programme in the Ministry of Defence is the Secretary of Defence, John McKinnon. The Ministry’s Senior Management Group is responsible for delivering on the overall Programme.
Supporting Policies, Plans and Resources
The foundation document for the Ministry of Defence’s work addressing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is its initial carbon emission inventory report for 2006/07. This shows that the main source of emissions for the Ministry is air travel; its secondary source is purchased electricity. Together these account for approximately 86% of the Ministry’s emissions.
Currently, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is supported in the Ministry by:
- The Ministry’s Travel Policy, which requires that prior to any person travelling on Ministry business, the Ministry will ensure the travel is necessary and justifiable in every case; the maximum value for the taxpayer is obtained and steps are taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the Ministry’s travel where this is practicable. These policy intentions are supported by specific parameters around the different modes of travel.
- Ministry policy on departmental tendering which requires the Ministry to favour more environmentally sustainable products with greater energy efficiency – where cost and function are equivalent over the product lifetime.
- Firms quoting for production of the Ministry’s statutory documents are required to utilise paper that meets the requirements for achieving at least a three star rating.
Copies of relevant supporting resources are attached.
Energy
Energy (purchased electricity, natural gas and transmission and distribution line losses) is responsible for approximately 30% of the Ministry of Defence’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Initiatives already undertaken arise as a consequence of the Ministry’s relocation into a new building in February 2007:
- This building is fitted with “Dali” lighting which is preset and will automatically adjust to the amount of light coming in from outside.
- The building has been fitted with a new climate control air-conditioning system, which eliminates the need for personal electrical appliances used by staff such as fans and heaters.
Actions listed below aim to ensure that energy use in the new building is less than that prior to relocation
| Action | Responsibility | Timeframes | Measures of Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ministry will need to complete an energy audit. As we are a small agency and are part of a multi-tenanted building this may be a level 1 audit. | Assistant Secretary (Corporate) |
By 30 June 2008 |
|
Transport
Transport (air travel, rental cars and taxis) is responsible for 67% of the Ministry’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Initiatives already undertaken:
- A travel policy with appropriate levels of authorisation and which requires steps to be taken to reduce the Ministry’s carbon footprint where this is practicable.
- Use of telephone and video conferencing in the recruitment process for overseas candidates for employment.
Actions listed below aim to encourage use of sustainable transport options.
| Action | Responsibility | Timeframes | Measures of Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undertake the travel planning process | Deputy Secretary (Corporate) | By 2010 |
|
Note – the employee commute is not included in the Carbon Neutral Public Service reduction plans as it is outside of the scope. Agencies will be required to address the employee commute through their Govt3 action plans.
Waste to Landfill
Waste to landfill accounts for approximately 3% of the Ministry of Defence’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Initiatives already undertaken:
- Paper recyling bins at desks
- Recycling for plastics, glass and tins
- Replacement of rubbish bins with desktop cubes.
Actions listed below aim to reduce overall waste produced.
| Action | Responsibility | Timeframes | Measures of Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct waste audit to obtain up-to-date data | Assistant Secretary (Corporate) | By 30 June 2008 | Accurate data on Ministry waste. |
| Double sided printing as a default | Director Information Technology and Management | By 30 June 2008 | Reduction in use of Ministry copier/printing paper. |
Miscellaneous
Future actions may require consideration as to whether the Ministry should assess the extent to which carbon neutral policies can be incorporated into the New Zealand Defence Force. Purchases of major items of military equipment can be considered a “Scope 3 emission” – emissions that occur as a consequence of the activities of the Ministry, but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the Ministry.
Review of plan
This plan is due to be reviewed on 30 June 2008.
Approval
This plan has been approved by:
Signed
Position Secretary of Defence
Date
