Olympic Park’s green legacy in doubt

Whether the 2012 Olympic park can deliver a blueprint for sustainable living is in question, according to the head of the independent assurance body for the London Olympics. More work needs to be done to ensure the government delivers its promise that the Olympic Park will leave a sustainable legacy for east London. Speaking at […]

Public sector spends £221bn on procurement

Public sector procurement should be streamlined in a bid to save money and make life easier for the private sector. Chairman of the Greening the Public Sector, Colin Cram, said: “Public sector procurement spend is £221bn. It’s a massive amount, accounting for one third of public sector expenditure. We have a right to expect that […]

Businesses should pay carbon tax

An industry-wide carbon tax was the best way to finance energy saving projects, says Angus Robertson, chief executive of powerPerfector. Speaking at the Greening the Public Sector conference in London this week, he said: “The financing arm for the public sector, Salix, has been scrapped. If the UK businesses industry was charged 1p per kwh, […]

Public sector bosses should cut energy not staff

Public sector energy savings could prevent staff from losing their jobs and protect front-line services, a London conference has been told. Government departments should look at cutting budgets by reducing its energy consumption not staff, says senior public sector figure Colin Cram. Mr Cram told ELN: “I’m afraid a lot of people could be fired […]

Ditch consultants and hire electricians to spark energy cuts

Practical and low cost advice from electricians has helped cut energy consumption at the Environment Agency. Speaking at the Greening the Public Sector conference in London, Head of Internal Environment Management Julian Feasby said there were cost and energy-saving benefits to asking tradesmen for advice rather than hiring more expensive sustainability consultants. Mr Feasby said: […]