Sustainable Development,

Energy and Environment

1st Annual Report – 2001

Foreword
? by Stephen Hickey
Corporate Services Director
This last year has seen the former
Department of Social Security (DSS)
achieve particular success in the
areas of strategic management,
renewable energy and transport.
Having now joined with colleagues
from the former Department for
Education and Employment (DfEE)
and Employment Services (ES) to
create the Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP), discussions are
taking place to integrate our activity
and develop joint proposals.
As Senior Accountable Officer for Sustainable
Development in the Department for Work and
Pensions, I am very pleased to be able to present
this our first annual report. It will summarise the
past year’s major activities of the former DSS and
ES, and set out the aims of the new DWP for the
coming year. We have a lot of work to do to build
on our successes and ensure that the policies
2 • Annual Report 2001
Sustainable Development Team
?
A new corporate team has been created to manage sustainable development, energy and environment issues within
DWP. This folllows a recommendation by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), adopted
by the Green Ministers’ Committee, that each Department should have a central unit with responsibility for these issues.
and work of our refocused Department is
truly sustainable and that we maximise our
The DWP Sustainable Development (SD) Team, which sits within Departmental Estates under the Director Peter Besley,
contribution to the improvement of the
works with Land Securities Trillium – estates partner to the former DSS – to green the Department’s buildings under the
environment around us.
‘PRIME’ PFI contract. This contract incentivises and rewards environmental and energy efficiency. The SD team is working
with colleagues from the former ES to build on successes and share best practice.
DWP actively delivers support to the most
vulnerable sector of society and is working to:
reduce child and pensioner poverty; help all those
The Senior Accountable Officer, Stephen Hickey, is regularly informed of
progress and is the Department’s representative to the Cabinet Office’s SD
able to work to find jobs; and ensure that people Carole Cassidy
forum. The Department’s Green Minister is Baroness Hollis of Heigham.
with disabilities can play their full part. This aligns Business Support and
an overarching vision of promoting economic Sustainable Development
growth and tackling social exclusion, clearly in line
with the objectives of Sustainable Development.
Richard Fountain
It is early days yet and we, like most Government
SD, Energy and Environment Strategy
Departments, are only now coming to terms with
Land Securities Trillium Issues
the breadth of the sustainable development Stephen Hickey
agenda, bringing together social, economic and Corporate Services Director
environmental elements to deliver integrated
policies which will benefit both people and the
environment they live in. Our potential to deliver
real sustainability is therefore considerable, and Jane Cony TBA Roz Reeves Bianca Schofield
our aim is to promote this concept throughout the SD & Environment Policy Env Management Systems Waste & Recycling Energy Management
work of the new Department. Green Minister Support Improvement Programme EMS Issues Awareness Issues
David Johnson
Robbie Bamforth
Please note all figures relate to the former DSS, Green Transport Plans
EMS 2000
and not to the newly created DWP. SD Database
Figures for the new Department are being gathered
and will be reported in the 2002 SD Annual Report.
Annual Report 2001 • 3
DWP Sustainable Development Policy
and Improvement Programme
In 1999, the former DSS adopted an
Environmental Policy Statement which was jointly
signed by the Department’s Permanent Secretary,
Green Minister and the Chief Executives of its
estates partners. Accompanying this was an
Improvement Programme, containing detailed
targets to promote continuing improvement of its
operations’ environmental impact.
This Environmental Policy Statement is now being
replaced by a DWP Sustainable Development
Policy Statement which clarifies the commitment
of DWP to meet its own, and the Government’s,
SD objectives. Accompanying this new policy
statement is a revised Improvement Programme,
which sets specific targets to ensure we meet
these objectives. The SD Team monitors progress
towards their achievement and good progress
has been made this year in meeting both
Government and DWP targets.
4 • Annual Report 2001
DWP has developed a network of ‘SD
Champions’ from across its business who
will own and progress the targets within the
Improvement Programme and help to ‘spread the
word’. A Steering Group has been established to
influence the direction of our SD work, promote
high-level and staff commitment to our plans, and
enable a common approach to be taken to SD
and environmental issues as they apply to DWP.
Departmental SD Strategy
The key to good environmental performance, from policy to delivery, is
integration. A comprehensive DWP SD strategy document is being
developed, which will integrate all aspects of SD policies and plans so all
energy and environmental programmes will be under one controlled system.
This will enable us to promote and record the continuing improvement of the
Department’s environmental performance and the sustainability of its work.
DWP’s SD Team is working closely with the SD Commission to ensure that
our proposals meet with the overall concept of SD and to promote a
commonality of approach across Government.
Sustainable Policies
The commitment of DWP to the principles of Stephen Hickey, DWP’s Senior Accountable Officer for SD, has sponsored a
sustainable development is reflected in its Public process for Departmental policies and change initiatives to be screened for SD and
Service Agreement (PSA) targets. Our targets, environmental impacts during their formulation. This will maximise our contribution
some of which are jointly owned by HM Treasury, to Government’s objectives – to place sustainability ‘at the heart of decision
strongly support the relevant SD headline making’ and to meet the requirements of the
indicators, which are used to focus attention and Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee
give a broad overview of progress. This enables (EAC) and Green Ministers. The SD Team
DWP to make a substantial contribution towards provides advice to managers in meeting these The key areas these initiatives fall under are:
the social and economic objectives of the UK requirements, and will be working closely with
Strategy for Sustainable Development: the Department’s new agencies, Jobcentre Plus > Environmental
and The Pensions Service, to ensure we fulfil
our obligations. Any impacts are minimised
Management Systems
wherever possible, and records are kept.
> Combined
Headline Indicators
> HI 3 – Proportion of people of working DWP has a number of initiatives under way Heat and Power
age who are in work.
> HI 4 – Success in tackling poverty and
which will reduce our impact on the
environment. One example is the Electronic > Renewable Energy
social exclusion, such as children in Service Delivery project, which will make it
low-income households, adults without possible to claim benefits on line, which will > Energy and climate change
qualifications in work-less households reduce travel and contribute towards energy
and elderly in fuel poverty. and water reductions in DWP buildings. > Water
> Waste and recycling
DWP PSA targets > Biodiversity
> Ensuring the best start for all children and ending child poverty
within 20 years. > Procurement
> Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working
age, whilst protecting the position of those in greatest need. > Travel
> Combating poverty and promoting security and independence
in retirement for today’s and tomorrow’s pensioners. > Training and guidance
> Modernise welfare delivery so as to improve the accessibility
and accuracy of services.
Annual Report 2001 • 5

Environmental Management Systems
The Department’s first Environmental
Management System (EMS), at Peel Park
Blackpool, was accredited to ISO 14001 in
September 2000. The lessons learned from this
project, together with the experience of our
trained environmental auditors and the SD Team,
are now being utilised to develop an EMS
throughout the operations of the Benefits Agency
in London and the South-East, which includes 70
buildings and 7,000 staff.
6 • Annual Report 2001
The Government target for 10 per cent of electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by 2010 was exceeded by the former DSS in 2000.
Renewable Energy
Furthermore, with effect from October 2001, 37.7 per cent of the total electricity consumption of the former DSS,which equates to around 26.9 per cent
of the new DWP, will be provided from renewable sources, with 81 sites being totally powered by renewables, dramatically reducing CO2 emissions into
Two former Employment Service’s office the atmosphere.
buildings in Sheffield, one HQ site and These 81 sites are as follows:
one Jobcentre, are also being
considered for an EMS. * Ashton-Under-Lyme - Crown Buildings * Dudley - Pedmore House * Middlesbrough - James Cook House
* Barking - Phoenix House * Eston - Hadrian House * Nelson - Scholefield Mill
A full rollout programme across the
* Barnsley - John Rideal House * Exeter - Clarendon House * Newcastle - Arden House
corporate operations of the DWP
* Basildon - Great Oaks * Grimsby - Crown House * Newton Abbot - Ilford Park
will be considered subject to these * Birkenhead - Great Western House * Hastings - Ashdown House * Nottingham - Upper Parliament Street
regional pilots. * Birkenhead - St. Marks House * Hinchley Wood - Kingston by Pass * Oldham - Phoenix House
* Birmingham - Five Ways House * Hyde - Beech House * Oxford - Cuffas Lea House
In addition to these DWP iniatives, * Birmingham - High Street Erdington * Ipswich - St. Felix House * Peterborough - Clifton House
our major estates partner, Land * Bishop Auckland - Vinovium House * Kingston - Brook Street * Plymouth - Clearbrook House
Securities Trillium, are working * Blackburn - Orchard House * Lancaster - Mitre House * Plymouth Crownhill Court
towards a national EMS covering * Blackpool - Mexford House * Leeds - Lawnswood Govt Buildings * Preston - Barry House
estates issues, such as energy, water * Blackpool - Peel Park * Leeds - Quarry House * Reading - Princes House
and waste, across the former DSS. The * Blackpool - Warbreck House * Leicester - Wellington Street * Rochdale - Newgate House
aim is to achieve accreditation to ISO * Bolton - Elizabeth House * Liverpool - High Park House * South Shields - Wouldhave House
14001 by the end of December 2001. * Bootle - St. Martins House * Llanelli - Crown Buildings * Southend - Victoria House
* Bridgend - Crown Buildings * London Balham - Irene House * Stockport - Heron House
* Bristol - Eagle House * London Bloomsbury - Tavis House * Stevenage - Danestrate Brickdale House
DWP has a large number of staff housed in * Bristol - Flowers Hill * London Bloomsbury - Whittington House * Sunderland - Wearview House
buildings in the Newcastle area, which are * Bromley - Westmorland House * London Camden - Euston Road * Sutton - Sunderland House
managed by Inland Revenue, and we are * Burton-Upon-Trent - Crown Building * London Cricklewood - Broadway * Swindon - Spring Gardens
supporting Inland Revenue’s plans for an EMS * Cambridge - Henry Giles House * London Plaistow - Francis House * Warrington - Hilden House
to cover these buildings. Together, these * Cardiff - Gabalfa Govt Buildings * London Southwark - Wedge House * Watford - Exchange House
initiatives will enable * Cheltenham - Rivershill House * London Stratford - Jubilee House * Weymouth - Westwey House
us to achieve * Chester - Chantry House * Lytham - Heyhouses Lane * Widnes - Kingsway House
maximum EMS
coverage across Combined Heat and Power * Coventry - Cofa Court
* Croydon - Concorde House
* Manchester - Baskerville House
* Manchester - Heywood Stores
* Wigan - Brocol House
* Wigan - Griffin House
the Department. * Doncaster - Crossgate House * Manchester - Wilmslow Road * Worthing - Crown Buildings
DWP recognises the potential of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units
in terms of the energy efficiency offered and the significant savings in The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) and Michael Meacher, the Environment Minister, commended the former DSS for its approach, particularly
carbon emissions. Our estates partners are therefore currently the deliberate step of paying slightly more than the price of conventional electricity, plus the Climate Change Levy, to secure our green power. Paying
undertaking a detailed survey with a view to the installation of a CHP at 0.15 per cent extra on our total electricity budget of £9M gave us this major success. Our current supply contracts contain flexibility clauses allowing us
one of our largest HQ buildings. to move to green sources whenever they are secured – even with different suppliers – and a long-term strategy is under consideration which seeks to
secure green supplies for years to come by supporting the creation of new renewable capacity.
Annual Report 2001 • 7
Energy and Climate Change
In recent years, former DSS total energy
consumption has steadily reduced despite an
increase in IT usage and in building opening
hours. To ensure that we maintain this trend,
a comprehensive benchmarking exercise has
been undertaken on all former DSS buildings.
The top 100 energy consuming sites – totalling
about 60 per cent of overall consumption –
have also been surveyed for potential efficiency
improvements. Recommendations on ‘spend to
DWP Energy Consumption
500.00
8 • Annual Report 2001
save’ capital investment and other improvement
measures have been made with estimated
consumption savings averaging 16 per cent.
No departmental funding is required as our
estates partners will fund the schemes
themselves, recovering their investment from
the savings which actually accrue.
A number of investment opportunities have been
identified by these surveys, several of them
‘building specific’, but many of the
recommendations will be rolled out across the
entire estate, increasing savings further. Three
Water
The amount of water consumed each year All but a handful of former DSS buildings
sites have been selected as implementation in the Department’s buildings needs to be now have water meters, enabling trends
pilots, and work has commenced on those sites. reduced. To assist in achieving this ‘spend to be analysed and consumption targets to
to save’ initiatives, to reduce water usage, be set. This has enabled DWP to take part
are included within the energy surveys in the ‘Watermark’ project, run by the Office
In addition to this major initiative, energy efficiency
mentioned above. of Government Commerce, which aims to
is integral to the life-cycle replacement works
develop a series of ‘best practice’ water
carried out by Land Securities Trillium, ensuring
benchmarks to enable Departments to
that we maximise the efficiency of our systems One of our major investment
wherever possible. assess and maximise the efficient use of
proposals is the introduction
water. Data on all
of waterless urinals – by
700+ former DSS
Many of our buildings are currently overheated to requiring no water to
buildings has been
compensate for cold-spots, creating health and
comfort problems for staff and wasting energy.
flush these will
reduce our water
provided to OGC. Waste and Recycling
To combat this, a ‘Healthy Heating’ strategy consumption
has been agreed, which seeks to address considerably. The former ES has Total output of waste from the former DSS is in excess of 24,000 tonnes,
the problems by proposing a combination A successful trial benchmarked its of which we currently recycle approximately 37 per cent. The majority of
of measures including work, by Land has been water consumption the Department’s waste is paper, and all of our ‘restricted and confidential’
Securities Trillium, to identify and rectify undertaken, internally to identify paper waste is already recycled. Plans are being developed to maximise
cold-spots. Together with our proposed and we are potential for savings the recycling of our waste paper by the end of 2001, helping us to meet
investment measures, the strategy is now developing and maximise the Government’s recycling targets.
expected to bring a real improvement to a major rollout efficiency.
occupant comfort and energy efficiency. programme.
Desks and filing cabinets are recycled under our estates contract.
Fixtures are re-painted and re-used, and desktops pulped and recycled
To complement these technical improvements wherever possible. Replacement desktops come from recycled sources.
we need to encourage everyone to ‘do their bit’
in reducing the energy consumption and CO2
output of our buildings. To increase their
awareness of the potential for this, and to
Biodiversity
encourage feedback from staff, we provide
A wildlife friendly cutting and mowing regime was introduced at the Peel
graphical building-specific energy reports,
Park site as part of the EMS. The SD Team will be working with our estates
which compare consumption to ‘good practice’
partners to identify further sites with scope for a biodiversity action plan.
benchmarks and allow comparison with other
similar buildings on the DWP estate.
Annual Report 2001 • 9
 Procurement
All our suppliers are provided with a copy of
our Policy Statement and Improvement
Programme and when tendering for goods
and services, they are asked to submit
details of their environmental policy statement
and for any specific proposals related to the
contract. All new contracts are assessed for
their environmental impacts and, where
anything significant is identified, a specific
action plan is devised to monitor and
manage those impacts.
Land Securities Trillium incorporates
environmental factors into all its procurement
processes on behalf of DWP, and has
confirmed that only wood from certified
sustainable sources is used on the former
DSS estate and that no peat is used for
horticulture.
All new and major refurbishment projects are
subject to a Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method
(BREEAM) assessment. This tests the
environmental efficiency of a building and our
aim is to achieve a rating of ‘very good’.
DWP has taken the lead in a joint initiative
with the Office of Government Commerce
10 • Annual Report 2001
to let a new stationery contract, which all
Government Departments are being
encouraged to use. This contract increases
the availability of recycled goods and aims
to maximise their usage wherever possible.
Energy and environmental
efficiencies are being
incorporated into our
major IT replacement
programme including
energy efficiency of
equipment, minimisation
and environmentally
friendly disposal of
packaging waste,
reduced and duplex
printing, recycling of
redundant kit and remote
technical management.
Training and Guidance
As you can see, a number of technical and
procedural improvements are being made, all of
which aim to reduce the Department’s impact on
the environment. To ensure that our staff make the
most of the facilities which are, and will be,
available to them, it is essential that effective
communications are developed.
Travel
The involvement of our staff is equally essential
There are 288 Green Transport Plans in place,
if we are to meet our objectives and to assist in
covering 397 sites and approximately 80 per
this, an SD site has been launched on the
cent of former DSS staff and also 104 former ES Department’s Intranet. This aims to provide
sites. A long-term strategy for the adoption of GTP interesting and informative information for our
requirements across the Department is under consideration, with staff to stimulate their interest and to encourage
focussed attention on specific sites with the greatest potential for improvements. this involvement. Included on the site are:
> details of our SD policies and targets.
DWP pays a single rate of motor mileage allowance irrespective of engine size,
encouraging the use of smaller, more economical, cars for official journeys, and
> explanatory and guidance documents and
an increased pedal-cycle allowance of 12p per mile.
progress reports.
> detailed building-specific energy and water
In addition, where staff use cars provided by the Department, mileage allowance
consumption reports.
is paid at the diesel rate regardless of the fuel used, acting as an incentive to
dual-fuel vehicle drivers to use the much cheaper and more environmentally
efficient Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). On 1st February 2001, our previous Green
Minister chaired an SD Conference for our senior
managers. The day was designed to promote
The former DSS fleet now has 297 LPG vehicles (11 per cent of its fleet)
familiarity with sustainable development,
and it is intended to increase the percentage of environmentally efficient
highlighting the important contribution that DWP
vehicles in coming years. The former DSS was one of the first to join the
makes, and included a number of keynote
Motorvate scheme, and we are signed up to the scheme’s targets to
speakers. Michael Meacher, the Environment
reduce the amount of CO2 emissions created by our fleet, monitoring
Minister, stressed the importance of SD in
our mileage to promote efficiency and ensure our compliance with the
ensuring a quality of life for our children. Anna
scheme. The former ES has replaced half of its fleet with vehicles of
EU IV standard, making a further substantial cut to CO2 emissions.
Conclusion
The Department of Social Security
Coote, from the Sustainable Development
made good progress last year, but
Commission, provided a wider concept of SD
we have many challenges ahead of
and its issues and John Horam, Chairman of the
us as the Department for Work and
Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee,
explained the background to EAC’s requirement Pensions. Integrating our policies
that all Departments screen their policies and and programmes with those of our
proposals for environmental impacts and record new colleagues from the former
the outcome. The event was very well received
and provided managers with an insight into the
DfEE and Employment Service will
present an opportunity to learn from
importance of SD, and its implications on, and each other and to progress towards
relevance to, our work. true sustainability in our work.
To ensure that our staff are kept aware of progress
a quarterly newsletter, ‘Greenlines’, is issued to all
staff by the SD Team. This newsletter provides a
two to three-page general update, with
additional attachments on specific
issues for those who have an interest
in the subject matter. Feedback
has been very positive and the
aim is to use the newsletter to
encourage our staff to
become more environmentally
aware and to enlist their help
in reducing our impact on
the environment.
Following on from these
initiatives, a detailed awareness
campaign is under way,
comprising specific advice on how
everyone can ‘do their bit’.
Annual Report 2001 • 11
Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Carole Cassidy Richard Fountain

4th Floor
Tavis House
1-6 Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9NB
Tel : 0207 2006253
Fax : 0207 2006254
Carole.Cassidy@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
H Wing
Government Buildings
Otley Road, Lawnswood
Leeds LS16 5PU
Tel : 0113 2309711
Fax : 0113 2309712
Richard.Fountain@dwp.gsi.gov.uk