The Governments fails to reduce its own emissions – how can it be fit to create emission reduction policy?

When I visited South Korea in 2005 it was almost impossible not to notice that virtually every government building in Seoul had its roof covered with both solar thermal panels and photovoltaic panels. South Korea emits about the same amount of carbon dioxide per capital as the United Kingdom, having a more extreme winter climate.  The Seoul government thinks that it should lead the way in solar thermal installations and lead by example.

In the United Kingdom I have yet to notice any solar panels on any Whitehall buildings. Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, chaired by MP Tim Yeo, has recently reported a very poor performance on the government’s own in house carbon emission cutting; the overall carbon footprint is down by only 4%.  Virtually all of this is down to the Government buying or creating carbon offsets (which as we all know are of dubious value in actually reducing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions). The Government estate generates only 0.0004% of its electricity and as the Government plans for all its buildings to become carbon neutral by 2012 it is clear that they have very little idea on how to go about achieving this.

I should add that the committee’s data was in respect of 2000/2007, so it is out of date but having added that I know of no large new Government projects that have been installed on Government buildings recently to generate either renewable heat or renewable electricity.

If the Government’s performance in this goal of becoming carbon neutral is so poor we have to ask how fit is the Government itself to tell the rest of us how to become carbon neutral, or even to emit less carbon dioxide? The Government has initiated a series of low carbon policies. Some are so small and so confused as to be almost worthless, like the Low Carbon Building Programme. Others, like the Zero Carbon Homes policy is a meaningless concept where no one really understands how to achieve it.

Another policy is the policy that we should build so called “Eco Towns” on highly fertile farmland. I read over the weekend that Wayne Henderson is becoming involved in this policy as a designer. I remember Mr Henderson speaking to a large audience about residential home design several years ago at the Natural History Museum in London. When Mr Henderson showed his concepts the audience reaction was to ask where the provision was for microgeneration.

Mr Henderson responded that these things are expensive and if he had misunderstood the matter then he would be pleased to receive any comments and information by email.

I, of course, emailed Mr Henderson, explaining that microgeneration is not expensive in new build, especially if the installation of items like solar panels for water and space heating was conducted at the same time as the building scaffolding went up. I did not get a response so i wonder if he bothered to read my email or if he has since bothered to understand the importance of designing eco towns in ways that provide the lowest possible carbon emissions. From what I saw several years ago he had a large amount of knowledge to acquire before he can be qualified to design eco towns.

In addition there is the Government’s nuclear energy policy, being touted as a zero carbon option when it is a low carbon option. There are plans to build biomass power stations in Port Talbot and Lincolnshire without a self reliant sustainable biomass crop being locally available and at a time when the world’s forests are under threat to all kinds of cropping.

Last month we had the Prime Minister call for the oil companies to produce more oil, as a response to rising oil prices. Mr Brown wants oil to be cheaper so we can burn more of the stuff, thereby preventing the price becoming a brake on its use.

So I suppose that the Government is a bit like a doctor who puffs on a cigarette why advising the patient to stop smoking and how to stop smoking. You know that the advice is good. You cannot have any confidence that the doctor really knows how to advise you to stop smoking because the fag hangs from his lips while he gives the advice and the ashtray is horrendously full.