To ask the Minister of Finance whether there is a strategy in place to reduce the carbon footprint of the public sector.

The office buildings that my Department manages are responsible for around 4% of total Public Sector energy consumption. My Department has prepared an Energy with Carbon Reduction Plan for the NICS Office Estate, which builds on previous plans and aims for a further 4% energy saving over the period to 2023. Reductions in energy use have been achieved by reducing the size of the estate - or rightsizing; encouraging behavioural changes in staff to use energy more efficiently; and capital investment in areas such a boiler replacement and LED lighting.

My department is planning to establish a series of regional hubs to enable civil servants to work in offices near to where they live. This will contribute to the reduction of emissions by cutting down on the number of cars travelling long distances.

I tabled a paper on social value, with outcomes including effective stewardship of the environment, to the Procurement Board on 16 December 2020. It will require procurement strategies and specifications that:

Deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract including working towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Contract specifications that support environmental protection and improvement.

I have invited comments from the Board and once agreed, I will seek endorsement from Executive colleagues.

My Department has policy and legislation responsibility for building regulations, which provide minimum energy efficiency standards of building work. I want to see ambitious measures to improve the energy efficiency and carbon performance of new buildings locally, in a way that helps industry transition to new standards in energy efficiency and low carbon heating safely.