Ministers back green supply chain plan
Thursday, 28 Aug 2008 09:04
Government departments to check carbon footprint of supply chains
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Two senior cabinet ministers have backed a green initiative tracking the greenhouse gas emissions of public sector organisations.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have both joined the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
CDP, which already represents more than 3,000 investors with a combined asset base of $57 trillion (£30.996 trillion), aims to identify carbon footprints within individual supply chains.
The charity hopes to create a standardised approach to sharing climate change information and the ultimate goal of a low carbon economy.
Foreign secretary David Miliband and environment secretary Hilary Benn both welcomed their departments joining the scheme.
"I am pleased that the FCO, through its collaboration with the Carbon Disclosure Project, is leading the government in the area of gaining a better understanding of the impacts of its expenditure decisions on carbon emissions throughout the supply chain," Mr Miliband commented.
"Understanding the carbon emissions and policies of our suppliers will help to embed the sustainability agenda within our procurement decision making."
Mr Benn said: "In fighting climate change, we must look beyond the emissions from our own operations and look closely into the products and services we use and the suppliers we work with.
"I am very pleased that Defra is one of the first organisations to participate in this really important pilot project."
CDP chief executive officer Paul Dickinson added: "The public sector has enormous power to shape new markets through its procurement practices and these organisations are showing the way in the development of a low carbon economy.
"By joining this project the public sector has positioned itself at the cutting edge of this issue and will be learning with the private sector, rather than from it."