Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which provider supplies energy to her Department; how much CO2 was emitted through her Department’s energy consumption in the latest period for which figures are available; whether the criteria her Department uses to select an energy supplier includes how environmentally friendly the supplier is; and what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce CO2 emissions from its energy use.

The Defra Group publishes its annual carbon footprint in its annual report and account. The latest version is published here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/818863/defra-annual-report-2018-2019-web.pdf

This report provides an overview of Defra group performance against the GGC targets.

Defra Group emitted 61,128 tonnes CO₂e in 2018/19.

We are mandated to use Crown Commercial Services Frameworks when it comes to selecting our energy suppliers. These are EDF, British Gas Business for electricity and Corona for Gas.

We are unable to comment on the selection criteria used in awarding these supplier a place on these frameworks.

88% of the electricity Defra Group purchases comes from renewable sources from these suppliers.

We have reduced our carbon emissions by 48.8% since 2010, through investments in energy saving technology across the group by retrofitting:

• LED lighting,
• updated building management systems,
• biomass boilers,
• energy efficient boilers,
• solar photovoltaics
• and wind turbines.

We are looking to continue this investment through our SR19/SR20 bids in sustainable technology.