Environmental sustainability

Report: 11
Date: 28 June 2007
By: Director of Strategic Finance on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report has been prepared in response to a request from the Chair of the MPA for the following:

• Summary of the strategic approach to sustainability within the MPS;
• Indication of how the MPS is addressing the mayoral priorities; and
• Summary of the successes achieved to date and forthcoming challenges.

The Greater London Authority is in the process of revising its definition on sustainable development, in line with the London Plan and Mayoral Priorities. However, the most widely recognised definition is 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs', this is underpinned by five shared principles of Sustainable Development. As requested by the Chair, this report focuses on the most significant environmental sustainability aspects of the MPS, which are carbon dioxide emissions associated with transport, air travel and building use, and resource use and waste. In addition, the MPS has a significant positive contribution to the sustainability of London through the ‘environmental crime’ agenda, by the activities of Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the Wildlife Crime Unit.

A. Recommendation

That members receive the report and comment on the MPS strategic approach to sustainability and how the MPS are addressing mayoral priorities.

B. Supporting information

1. The majority of activity carried out by the MPS falls under the umbrella of the term ‘sustainable development’. It is generally accepted that sustainable development comprises of a mix of social, environmental and economic progress – 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. [1] This is underpinned by five shared principles of sustainable development:

• Living within environmental limits
• Sharing a strong, healthy, and just society
• Achieving a sustainable economy
• Using sound science responsibly
• Promoting good governance

The Greater London Authority Sustainable Development Policy Group (which includes representatives from all functional bodies) is currently working to revise the Mayor’s definition of Sustainable Development, and develop targets and key performance indicators as appropriate. The MPS would regard a large number of its activities and functions, as having a direct contribution to the quality of life of Londoners and indeed our mission ‘Working together for a safer London’ is an integral part of sustainable development.

2. Responsibility for sustainable development issues within the MPS is shared between the Resources Directorate, (which covers Environmental Management), Modernisation and Performance Directorate, (which is responsible for Corporate Governance), Human Resources Directorate, responsible for Health and Safety and Occupational Health, and Diversity Directorate responsible for equalities and Citizen Focus issues. This report is primarily concerned with environmental aspects of sustainability.

3. Environmental sustainability is championed at a senior level by the Director of Strategic Finance (formerly Director of Resources) and is managed through the MPS Environmental Strategy, and supporting Environmental Management Programme (EMP). The EMP contains annual targets and indicators. Performance against targets and environmental key performance indicators are reviewed quarterly by the MPS Environmental Strategy Steering Group and reported annually in the MPA Environment Report, and through the Mayor’s Sustainable Development budget return in September. A review against best practice in environmental reporting has been completed.

4. The work outlined in paragraph 3 is co-ordinated by the MPS Environment and Sustainability Manager (supported by an Environment Advisor and a Recycling Officer) within Property Services, who provide the corporate lead on all environmental sustainability issues. This includes all internal awareness, advice and external liaison such as responding to Mayor’s questions and representation at Greater London Authority forums and Policy meetings.

5. A gap analysis of the Environment Strategy objectives and relevant Mayoral strategies was carried out in 2004, as part of their development. The matrix demonstrates where the Environment Strategy meets the Mayor’s strategy requirements. There have been developments in the sustainability/environmental agenda, which have significantly raised the profile of environmental issues since the publication of the Mayor’s strategies. These are reviewed annually as part of the development of the EMP. Priority areas are:

• Climate change
  • Building emissions
  • Transport fleet emissions
  • Air travel
  • Other forms of business travel i.e. taxis, government car service and ‘company cars’
  • Employee travel (sustainable/green travel plans)
• Waste management and recycling
• Resource consumption and procurement
  • Mayor’s Green Procurement Code: London Remade promoting increase in purchase of recycled goods and reducing consumption of resources e.g. paper and building materials
  • Supply chain management – environmental performance of goods and services e.g. FSC Timber/Green energy

Other areas to be considered significant that have potential for increasing priority in the future are:

• Environmental crime;
• Water efficiency;
• Biodiversity and wildlife;
• Noise; and
• Ethical Investment.

6. In the Mayor’s Budget Guidance 2006/07, the Mayor listed climate change as the top priority for London, and as part of the consultation on the draft component budget the Mayor has requested that the MPS reduce CO2 emissions by 10% on 2005/06 by the end of the current business planning period (March 2010), pending publication of the London Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP for London sets a target to reduce CO2 by 30% by 2025 (on year 1990 emissions). Each GLA functional body has committed to this target and outline measures and initiatives to reduce its emissions (30% reduction on a baseline of year 2000 [2]). When factoring in growth [3], this means the MPS will need to reduce its CO2 emissions by 110,800 tonnes by 2025. In the short term, the MPA has allocated £5.725 million in the current Capital Programme to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% by 2010, by the implementation of building energy efficiency technologies and staff awareness campaigns. Building related carbon emissions (139,199 tonnes in 2005/06) account for approximately 78% of MPS emissions. By recycling the utility savings back into future energy efficiency projects the MPS can expect to achieve approximately 60% of the 2025 target. Further investment may be necessary on review of performance against the CCAP, but additional savings will be achieved through the disposal of inefficient buildings and the estate renewal programme. In addition, all new MPS developments are required to comply with MPS Environmental Design Guidance, which includes new planning requirements to ensure 10% (likely to be increased to 20%) of building energy is generated from on site renewable energy. The MPS have integrated ground source heating and cooling, solar thermal hot water heating, and rain water harvesting as part of custody centre and patrol base designs. Based on initial feasibility this will provide between 40-60% energy from a renewable source, resulting in a CO2 reduction of between 19-31% and up to 90% of non-potable water demand depending on the scheme. However, it should be noted that the inclusion of sustainability features would result in increased development costs of between 3-5%.

7. The MPS continues to procure 100% electricity from renewable sources when it is available in the utility supply market. In 2006/07 green energy was not purchased as a result of the on-going negotiation of the utilities supply contract. This should be resolved for 2007/08, when the MPS will seek to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources through its new supplier. Purchase of renewable energy is viewed as a mitigation measure, with MPS carbon reduction measures and targets based on total emissions unadjusted for green energy purchase.

8. 32,006 tonnes of CO2 emissions were generated from the operation of the road vehicle fleet in 2005/06. Vehicle manufacturers are gradually reducing vehicle emissions as the technology advances, in response to increasingly tighter emission standards and so the MPS continues to try to keep its vehicle fleet as young as possible in order to benefit from these improvements. However, the operational performance requirement for response vehicles means that the Service has no viable alternative but to retain larger engine vehicles for a proportion of its fleet. Electric and Hybrid vehicles are used for a number of roles, but this is currently at a significant cost premium and therefore a constraint exists on the total number of these vehicles that can be employed. As part of the development of the Climate Change Action Plan, the MPS has considered, in outline, the benefits, implications and additional costs of changing 600 of its lowest performance ‘General Purpose’ cars from the small-engine diesel car currently specified to an available hybrid model. However the resultant reduction in carbon emissions would be very low (approximately 0.5% on the current baseline), albeit the benefit from lower particulate and NOx generation would be greater. The extra cost for the 600 vehicles would be in the order of £2.35 million (capital) plus any additional maintenance fees to support the more complex hybrid vehicle. MPS Transport Services will continue to proactively take part in trials of alternatives and seek other opportunities to reduce emissions where possible in line with the MPS Environment Strategy. The MPS is participating in a trial of 16 hydrogen vehicles as part of the London Hydrogen Partnership established by the Mayor. Fuel efficient driving for non-response driving should also be promoted. In addition, the MPS should promote cycling and walking for patrolling and operational duties where feasible, and utilise hybrid vehicles wherever appropriate. The MPS was announced winners of the Traffic Reduction and Transport Management category at the Sustainable Cities Awards in early 2007, for reducing carbon emissions from the transport fleet. There are currently 128 hybrid vehicles in use by Safer Neighbourhoods Teams and MPS Fire Officers and 1,233 bicycles for operational use. The use of bicycles has meant that officers can be more accessible to the public and often travel to incidents much quicker.

9. In 2005/06 the MPS generated 9567 [4] tonnes of CO2 from business related air travel. This total is calculated from the 2005/06 mileage data using conversion factors provided by Defra for long haul and short haul flights. In 2006/07 carbon emissions reduced significantly (26%) to 7080 tonnes of CO2. The MPS and other GLA functional bodies have committed to offsetting CO2 emissions associated with all MPS air travel through the Defra Carbon Offsetting Fund. Individual Operational Command Units will pay offsetting costs on each flight. The fund will finance international energy efficiency and renewable technology projects, which reduce equivalent tonnages of CO2. This initiative is a mitigation measure and will not contribute to MPS CO2 reduction targets.

10. The MPS aims to improve accessibility, staff retention, and minimise the environmental impact of travel to the workplace through the implementation of green travel initiatives. The MPS Corporate Sustainable Travel Plan has been published and provides details of MPS transport related environmental impacts and how these are monitored and minimised through MPA/MPS policies and initiatives. This includes the implementation of a suite of measures to reduce the need to travel and increase the sustainability of employee travel options. These include:

• Provision of travel benefits to employees, including free travel on London Underground, Buses and Trains for Police Officers, free bus and tube travel for Special Constables and free bus travel for Police Community Support Officers.
• Provision of interest free travel loans for MPS employees.
• The establishment of Bicycle User Groups at Empress State and New Scotland Yard.
• The MPS Car Share Scheme was launched in December 2006 and to date 219 MPS staff have registered journeys on the site resulting in 4 tonnes of carbon emissions saved.
• Implementation of a cycle salary sacrifice scheme in conjunction with Evans cycles. The promotion ran for an 8 week period and 2020 staff benefited.
• The MPS are corporate affiliate members of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC).
• Development and distribution of sustainable travel awareness materials. Green travel information and messages are distributed via the Environmental Information Intranet site, corporate news articles, Environmental Network, environmental newsletters and internal MPS magazine ‘The Job’ and Corporate Induction Days.
• The MPS hold an annual Environment Open Day in June, which includes the promotion of more sustainable methods of transport to staff. This has included trials of electric and hybrid vehicles; cycling initiatives; and promotion of the MPS car share scheme. The Good Going campaign also attended the event and 273 MPS staff pledged to use more sustainable modes of transport.

11. The MPS is now working with consultancy assistance from Transport for London to complete a travel survey for the MPS estate for all buildings with over 200 occupants, to be completed in 2007. There is potential for the MPS to further minimise the impact of business travel by increasing flexible working practices, and utilising technology such as teleconferencing. However, the degree of implementation will be limited by MPS operational constraints.

12. The MPS is committed to implementing recycling schemes across the estate. Historically MPS waste has been managed through agreements with the Local Authorities in each Borough. There is great variation among Local Authorities in their capability to collect and recycle trade waste - many focusing on their household recycling targets. Therefore the establishment of recycling schemes has been very resource intensive to manage across the MPS. As a result the MPS have focused on centrally managed waste streams such as confidential waste, vehicle recovery, and uniforms, and have achieved very good recycling levels for these items. In addition in 2005/06 the MPS recycled 20% of its office waste. However, it is recognised that much more can be done to recycle office wastes (non-confidential paper, glass, cardboard, plastic and aluminium cans). Property Services have been working to establish a new waste and recycling contract as part of our Facilities Management Service (FMS) and have recruited a Recycling Officer who will work with the suppliers to develop a recycling plan for the whole estate. The FMS contract includes the following targets:

• To provide recycling services across the estate to achieve a minimum of 25% recycling for general waste by the end of 2007 and 45% by the end of 2010.
• To support the reduction of waste by 25% by the end of 2010.

13. Initial discussions suggest it is likely that we can achieve a recycling level of between 40-50% for most large offices/stations. To support this an environmental target to increase recycling to 30% has been set for 2007/08. The MPS is aiming to achieve the highest recycling rates possible within its financial and operational constraints.

14. The MPS Environmental Strategy also includes objectives and targets on Environmental and Wildlife Crime. There is considerable opportunity to link with the environmental and sustainability agenda through the work of Safer Neighbourhoods teams on environmental crime issues such as graffiti, litter, and abandoned vehicles. This is an area where the MPS already have a direct positive impact on the environment of London, and can improve the quality of life of Londoners. Partnership and community work to tackle environmental problems directly supports the Mayor’s sustainability agenda. The MPS Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) is also recognised internationally and nationally for taking a lead on enforcing wildlife law and protecting wildlife. The WCU has strong links with wildlife protection organisations and has carried out a number of high profile initiatives, such as ‘Operation Charm’ to work with traditional Chinese medicine traders to prevent unlawful trade in endangered species.

15. However, the 2007/8 financial settlement for the MPS and likely settlement for 2008/9 has necessitated a review of MPS activity across all business areas. The Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) has been considered in the context of MPS priorities and its Capital City obligations and funding for two Police staff posts within the WCU may not continue beyond the end of September 2007. The MPS is actively seeking external funding and sponsorship opportunities to maintain these posts beyond the end of September 2007. There is likely to be widespread stakeholder interest due to links with the Mayor’s Animal Welfare Strategy.

16. The MPS Environmental Strategy contains objectives on sustainable procurement to ensure that the most environmentally sustainable options are considered as part of procurement decisions and that MPS contracts avoid significant environmental impacts wherever possible. The MPS are members of the GLA Sustainable Procurement Steering and Working Group’s and are actively supporting, including providing budgetary support, the set-up of a London-wide GLA family Sustainable Procurement team to advise and support GLA family members on Sustainable Procurement initiatives. The environmental performance of suppliers is evaluated and environmental sustainability requirements have been built into a number of contracts, to include, the MPS Information Technology, Facilities Management Service and stationery contracts. In 2006, the MPS received highly commended in the Mayor of London’s Extra Mile Award and runner up in the Sustainable Procurement category of the Sustainable Cities Awards in early 2007. As well as supporting Fairtrade initiatives we were acknowledged for increasing the procurement of recycled products by 170%, including products such as animal bedding and cleaning consumables. In addition the MPS has recently committed to the purchase of 100% timber from sustainable sources. The MPS is committed to increasing the purchase of environmentally responsible services and recycled products within MPS financial constraints and European Procurement rules.

C. Race and equality impact

There are not considered to be any Race or Equality issues associated with this report.

D. Financial implications

1. Capital investment is often required to make revenue savings from reduced consumption. To date £5.725 million has been included in the current Capital Programme for the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). The MPA approved £375k in the 2007/08 revenue budget to support the CCAP to fund additional staffing costs, project manage initiatives, raising awareness and training.

2. Budget associated with environmental sustainability initiatives and completion of the Environmental Strategy is published in the annual MPS Sustainable Budget Return submitted to MPA Finance Committee in September.

3. Increasingly prescriptive policy and legal requirements in this area can result in increased costs and resources.

4. The financial climate and associated spending reviews can put pressure on environmental initiatives such as the Wildlife Crime Unit and procurement of environmentally responsible goods and services that have a cost premium associated with them.

D. Background papers

• MPA Environment Report 2005/06
• The MPA Environment Report 2006/07 is to be published in September 2007. This report will be provided as an appendix to the Sustainable Development Budget Return to be approved by MPA Finance Committee before submission to the GLA.
• MPS Environment Strategy 2005-10, and Environmental Management Programme for 2007/08
• GLA/MPS Environmental Strategy Alignment Matrix

E. Contact details

Report author: Emma Devenish, Environment and Sustainability Manager

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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