To ask the Minister of Finance, pursuant to AQW 16275/17-22, what specific actions are being taken to decarbonise buildings; and to detail any decarbonising targets contained within plans.

My Department is responsible for managing the Civil Service Office Estate, which equates to around 4% of total Public Sector energy consumption here.

DoF has prepared a number of Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Plans to achieve cumulative energy savings and consequential reductions in carbon for the Civil Service Office Estate, which feed into an overarching Energy Management Strategy and Action Plan for the Central Government Estate to 2030. The sponsor department for this is the Department for the Economy supported by the Strategic Investment Board, who have details of decarbonising actions and targets for the wider Public Sector Estate.

Actions and investments that my Department plans to undertake over the 3 years of its current Plan, up to 2022/23, to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon in the Civil Service Office Estate fall into three categories. Targets are expressed in terms of energy usage reductions rather than decarbonisation.

Reduction in the footprint of the Civil Service Office Estate

Reducing the size of the Estate is expected to lead to a 1% reduction in energy useage.

Capital investments in energy efficiency

Identifying and implementing energy saving projects for capital investment from recommendations detailed in energy surveys and cyclical maintenance observations is expected to lead to a 2% reduction in energy useage.

Behavioural change

Encouraging and supporting Departmental Energy Managers to motivate behavioural change in staff is expected to lead to a 1% reduction in energy useage.

Connect 2 regional hubs are anticipated to reduce commuting frequencies and distances and, along with future new ways of working, lead to further reductions in energy usage and carbon emissions.