Environmental policies and the GLA Environmental Committee

Report: 10
Date: 19 November 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

To inform members on the purpose of the meeting held on 16 October 2001 by the GLA Environment Committee, the general issues raised and the responses given by the MPS based upon its existing Environmental Strategy.

The official minutes of the meeting are not yet available.

A. Recommendations

1. Members are asked to note the issues raised by the GLA Environment Committee and to consider the need to develop the future environmental strategies of the MPA in partnership with the GLA and its functional bodies; and
2. Members are asked to consider the need to develop a clear environmental structure to co-ordinate and direct the environmental strategies of the MPA.

B. Supporting information

1. At its meeting on 14 October 2000, the GLA Environment Committee decided to invite each of the Functional Bodies to a future meeting to undertake a scrutiny of their policies in relation to sustainability. The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) were asked to submit a joint report (Appendix 1) on the Police Service's environmental/sustainable policies. The MPA and the MPS were invited to attend this meeting to discuss those environmental policies; representatives of both attended.

2. A further paper will be submitted to the Estates Sub Committee outlining the findings and recommendations of the environment and energy audits on policy and procedure as soon as the final Audit reports are available.

3. The MPA was the second functional body to submit a report to the Environment Committee on its environmental policies. The Committee had received a report from the Fire Authority (LFEPA) at its meeting on 10 July 2001. The Committee is due to receive reports from Transport for London and the London Development Agency at its meetings on 11 December 2001 and 22 January 2001 respectively.

4. When the Committee has received reports from all of the functional bodies it plans to produce a report to the Assembly that will compare the environmental policies, highlight best practice, and identify where any difficulties may arise. It will additionally identify the challenges and possibilities for the future.

5. The members of the Committee present were:

• Samantha Heath (Chair)
• Louise Bloom (Deputy Chair)
• Trevor Phillips
• John Biggs
• Brian Coleman

6. Jude Sequeira represented the MPA. The MPS representatives were:

• Trevor Lawrence, Director of Property Services
• John Paddon, Transport
• Lorna Ewins, Procurement
• Phil Smith, Property Services

Issues raised by the Committee:

7. What is the extent of MPS/MPA involvement in formulating the Mayor's strategies on Bio-diversity and Air Quality?

• The MPS/MPA had commented on both draft strategies but had not been part of the initial consultation and development process. The draft waste strategy was also currently with the MPS/MPA for comment. The extent to which any MPS/MPA comments would be included in the final documents is unknown. During the discussion, reference was also made to the Mayors impending Noise and Energy Strategies and the benefits to be gained from the MPS/MPA being involved during the development and formulation of the proposals.

8. Is the MPS/MPA strategy too aspirational with insufficient specific targets for waste and recycling?

• The MPS/MPA had already acknowledged this in its programmed review following the Energy Management Survey pilot. It aimed to provide more specific and measurable targets in its 2002 strategy.

9. What lay behind the statement that "change had begun but would not be fulfilled in the short term"?

• This statement reflects the development of the Environmental Strategy to include all the support departments, with an ongoing need to include it within the duties of the operational police. Whilst fully accepted at senior level it had not yet become a routine part of operational duties. This is a culture issue that cannot be fulfilled in the short term.

10. How is the balance struck between environmental and operational priorities?

• Operational issues are by their very nature responsive or immediate. They necessarily take priority over environmental issues. The MPS/MPA sought to include environmental issues in its strategic planning and by way of its provisioning and support of operational duties. Training and awareness formed an integral part of this and would be a continuing initiative.

11. What is the MPS/MPA approach to 'enviro-crime'? (Some members considered that the main environmental concerns of residents and workers in London related to the proximity and frequency of events such as fly tipping, graffiti, noisy neighbours and traffic pollution).

• The MPS/MPA (supported by some committee members) considered that these issues did not rest solely with the MPS/MPA. Local authorities hold responsibility for many of the issues. Such matters also need consideration in the light of other policing priorities.

12. To what extent does the MPS/MPA work in partnership with the LFEPA and other functional bodies?

• The MPS/MPA had yet to develop close environmental links with the other functional bodies and had considered that these would be addressed by the developing GLA environmental strategies and the outcome of this initiative by the GLA Environment Committee. In the past the MPS/MPA had been sufficiently large to ensure it obtained competitive prices in respect of utility supplies when compared with other London based purchasing groups. Externally retained consultants had supported this view. However, the emerging issues surrounding recycling may benefit from a broader approach and it is anticipated that this would be developed further.

MPA Ownership

7. Paragraph 37 of the MPA/MPS joint report (Appendix A) indicates that no clear structure exists to co-ordinate and direct the environmental strategies of the MPA. Members will need to consider this matter further.

Conclusion

8. The Chairman concluded that the emerging theme should be of the GLA family working in partnership to tackle all environmental issues affecting those who live or work in London. Following presentations of the remaining reports from the functional policies the Committee expected to produce a report to the assembly identifying possibilities for the future.

C. Financial implications

There are no identifiable financial implications arising from this report.

D. Background papers

MPS Estate Strategy 2001

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Trevor Lawrence, Director, Property Services Department.

For information contact:

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

Appendix 1: GLA Environmental Committee report - 16 October 2001

MPA/MPS environmental policies 

Introduction

1. This report provides details of current MPA Environmental Policies. The details are based upon an Environment Strategy and Progress Report published in January 2001. The strategy report provides fuller details on the position, issues and targets for the service. This report had been circulated to Assembly Members on publication earlier in the year.

2. To set the context for this report, much of what is outlined below should be credited to the MPS, as the policies and initiatives mostly predate the MPA. The MPA was formally established in July 2000 to seek to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the MPS and to have responsibility for the Service's budget. The MPA's role includes agreeing the Service's priorities and strategies; the MPS Commissioner has responsibility for operational matters.

3. The MPA's main involvement with the environmental issues affecting the MPA has been in receiving and agreeing the Environmental Strategy Report, prepared by the MPS. It has also responded to the Mayor's environmental related strategies in conjunction with the MPS e.g. Air Quality, Biodiversity and Transport, so reference to the MPA below is made in terms of its adopted role as owner of the Environment Strategy. However, members should note the MPS's active and primary contribution to the position outlined in the report.

Development of the Environmental Strategy

4. The MPA and the MPS recognise the growing importance of good environmental practice across the Authority and policing services. Over the last decade, the MPS developed their strategy from one being exclusively related to accommodation to one embracing other sections and activities. Environmental policies within our Environmental Strategy aim to reflect and meet the requirements of environmental legislation, government and EU Directives, Local Authority initiatives and Industry good practice.

5. The management structure has developed and grown to reflect changes in the strategic scope. The MPS Director of Resources is the nominated environmental champion for the MPS, providing a single focus for such matters and helping to highlight its importance within the organisation. The proposed environmental structure within the MPS and its link to the MPA is shown at Annex 1. Environmental issues have not always been recognised as an integral element of business for the MPS but all MPS departments now report through the Resource Allocation Committee on environmental matters and then to the MPA's Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee (FPBV).

6. To be successful many environmental initiatives require the active support of the staff. We recognise the need to heighten staff awareness and so we increased publicity of this year's Environmental Strategy and Progress Report. In addition to this, an MPS Environmental website has recently been launched.

7. Change has begun but it will not be fulfilled in the short term. The impact of environmental issues is now recognised in both operational and strategic planning. Our policies are kept under review through our developing Environmental Management Systems (EMS). An EMS pilot scheme is being introduced at two representative buildings within the estate. Following the review for ISO14001 accreditation, a decision will be sought as to whether the pilot should be rolled out across the estate, and whether it should be developed further to embrace wider policing activities. This would represent a major policy initiative for the Authority, but would require a significant commitment if it were to be rolled out.

8. Environmental aspirations must continue to be judged alongside other objectives for future investment and operational priorities. New initiatives currently seek a three-year return on investment or better and recycling initiatives have to be cost-neutral.

MPA Environmental Strategy

9. The Environmental Strategy is updated annually. It sets out specific targets for each financial year and an annual progress report on performance. At present, it seeks to balance environmental friendly policies with other MPA budget and operational priorities. Significant progress was achieved last year against the targets set.

10. In addition to legislative requirements and directives, the Authority seeks to respond to specific impacts and their issues within its strategy. These cover the following areas:

Use of materials

11. Issues: There is the need to ensure that materials and services are supplied from sources that can demonstrate they are manufactured and managed in a way that minimises the impact upon the environment.

12. Policies: Procurement policies are an important element of any environmental strategy. We have produced and agreed a Procurement Strategy. It requires materials and services be resourced from environmentally aware and responsible sources. It includes the use of a technical questionnaire, which embraces environmental issues.

13. Recent initiatives include central contracts for recycled white paper, which apart from the environmental benefits, have resulted in significant cost savings. This coupled with central recycling contracts for police uniforms and equipment and general office equipment help to support the overall MPS policy in reducing waste.

Waste (see also Procurement)

14. Issues: The importance of minimising waste is reflected by increasing legislation in this area while the lack of availability of landfill sites is pushing up the cost of disposal, currently above the rate of inflation. This increases the pressure to reduce, reuse or recycle more material surplus.

15. Policies: Efforts are being made to encourage recycling within a constraint of initiatives being cost neutral. The recycling option is often not the most competitively priced, even when tendered at a service wide scale. Much effort too is required for sorting either at source or point of collection and this needs committed staff. So significant additional resources are required to promote recycling. However, this element of the strategy is to be the subject of a major initiative in future years and will seek to reflect the reduction, reuse and recycling hierarchy.

Energy (Electricity, Gas, Oil)

16. Issues: Gas and oil are finite, diminishing resources with costs and availability subject to political volatility. The consumption of energy also pollutes the atmosphere.

17. Policies (General): From the outset, energy purchase, consumption and conservation, has been a cornerstone of the MPS Environmental Strategy. Our purchasing arrangements for energy have benefited considerably from the de-regulation of the market and reflect market conditions. Advantage is taken of the efficiencies of scale offered by the size of the MPS estate (which includes offices, police stations, housing, operational sites, training and storage facilities) but this can add considerably to the complexities of the tendering and the monitoring process. We have included within the October 2001 electricity supply contracts an option to supply renewable energy to the entire estate and a requirement for it to be supplied to the two buildings within the EMS pilot scheme. One constraint we have met on this issue is that electricity from renewable sources is only available in limited quantities at present. The contracts will be awarded in October. The market is volatile and the choice of suppliers has been found to be limited. It is a continual challenge to improve energy efficiency with a dynamic and diverse estate of varying age. Through annual energy audits, we are able to focus on the top 20 energy-consuming buildings, and undertake detailed energy surveys to help prioritise local energy conservation initiatives. A monitoring and targeting database (TEAM) and the Building Management System (TREND) are used to identify consumption trends and monitor building performance. (The TEAM database provides the information necessary to benchmark each building's performance.)

Transport

18. Issues: Transport is recognised as being a major contributor to atmospheric pollution by way of CO2 emissions and particulate matter (PM10). It is also the case that whilst the details of the proposed EU directive on vehicle disposal are not yet known it is likely that there will be an impact on either vehicle purchase or end of life disposal costs.

19. Policy (Transport): Transport initiatives currently focus on ensuring that the fleet utilises technology that meets the MPS operational requirements whilst limiting environmental pollution. All front line liveried response vehicles are well maintained and replaced after 30 months service to ensure the use of up to date technology, and achieve good fuel efficiency, limit emissions and meet high standards.

20. Liveried vans are being progressively upgraded from petrol to diesel engines to achieve a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

21. New technology is also continually assessed, with liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and electric vehicles both being trialled where operational requirements permit.

22. Trials have also commenced aimed at rescheduling deliveries and routes to minimise travel distances and time wasted in traffic, and to avoid peak congestion periods when possible. Other forms of transport, particularly cycling, are also under consideration to identify where their use is appropriate.

Water

23. Issue: Demand (and prices) are rising. Controlled consumption is needed to support networks and supplies that are struggling to meet maximum demand.

24. Policies: A programme of continuous improvement in water management has been in place since 1996/97. During this period water consumption and costs have been progressively reduced by a combination of water meter installations, control devices and active management initiatives - including water consumption benchmarking to identify and repair leaks quickly. The MPS remains on target to achieve its aim of meeting the consumption target of 13m3/person/year.

Environmental Management System

25. To promote an environmentally-friendly culture and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable development we are embarking upon environmental management systems which comprise putting in place:

• Environmental Policies
• Environmental Management
• Environmental Auditing

26. Through this, we seek to deal with sustainable development issues as raised through LA21. For example, the EMS will cover:

27. Designing out impacts by requiring that new works and major refurbishments are designed and constructed in accordance with the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM 98). A similar performance is required from our contractors e.g. the Private Finance Initiative projects are required to achieve the BREEAM 98 "Excellent" rating and include an Environmental Management System (EMS).

28. The building and engineering design standards are currently being reviewed to fully incorporate the requirements of the EMS and the latest improvements in materials.

Bio-diversity

29. Currently each construction scheme is considered individually against evolving bio-diversity policies.

Air Quality, Climate Change and Atmospheric Pollution

30. As well as aiming to reduce CO2 through energy policies outlined above, other initiatives include the continual review of alternative refrigerants for air conditioning, and for an alternative to Halon 1211 (used in public order duties). The use of refrigerants is avoided wherever possible in new installations; those that are installed are operated, maintained and disposed of safely.

Health and Hygiene

31. As well as maintaining a register for asbestos, along with building planning files (under CONDAM - health and safety regulations) planned maintenance is in place for electrical testing (fixed and portable) and regular inspection of air conditioning, cooling towers, showers, and catering facilities. Public health incidents within police stations are monitored and reviewed annually.

Training and Awareness

32. Use is made of the MPS Environment Intranet web site, established in June 2001, to introduce training modules to individuals and specialist workgroups. As the EMS develops, the training will be rolled out further to include specific energy saving modules as well as general environmental matters. Training on other initiatives, including waste recycling, are planned for the coming year.

Best Practice

33. We seek to monitor external best practice. The following lists the initiatives in place to reflect good practice:

• Publication of an annual Environmental Strategy and Progress Report
• Environment Intranet site
• Pilot Environmental Management System (EMS)
• MACC 2
• Environmental Procurement Strategy
• Environmental Transport Strategy
• Energy Benchmarking
• Energy Accreditation
• BREEAM 98
• Water Conservation
• Purchase of Renewable Energy

Key Issues/Opportunities

Integrated GLA/MPA/MPS Structure and Strategy

34. The draft annual review of the MPA Environmental Strategy is sent to the GLA for comment. The GLA had expressed an interest for further involvement in these reviews as well as requesting this report. Through the MPA and GLA, the MPS welcomes the opportunity to work with other functional bodies in areas of mutual concern. We have prepared this report with a view to assisting the GLA identify the scope for joint working.

Environment as a priority

35. The MPA sets the policing priorities for the MPS annually. This process has always been difficult as there is a continual tension between local/borough-based priorities with London-wide priorities. The service is also measured against a set of national performance indicators and there is a need to ensure focus upon performance in the areas with high profile indicators. The current high demand upon the Service means those delivering services are often required to be responsive rather than proactive in their duties. These factors impact upon the Service's ability to place a higher priority upon longer-term concerns, such as environmental issues. What the MPA and MPS will strive to do is to ensure that an appropriate balance is struck between the competing priorities. The MPA/MPS are working to strengthen their consultative processes so that they can be better informed and be held to account on where it strikes this balance.

36. Further to this, the MPA has identified the need to review how requirements set out in the Mayor's targets and strategies could be incorporated into the process for establishing policing priorities, e.g. increased roadside emissions testing. We have found the Mayor's discrete strategies pose a cumulative requirement beyond that which the service can easily accommodate in present circumstances.

MPA Ownership

37. The draft management and reporting structure is shown in Annex1. However, it will be apparent that the MPA has not specifically assigned a structure for dealing with environmental issues. The report indicates the MPA has a number of issues to consider. These frame the type of role the MPA will have to play, notably: assessing investment criteria with respect to environmental projects; fostering joint working and partnership approaches with other agencies; and ensuring policing priorities and service development do appropriately reflect community perceptions as well as societal aspirations e.g. diversity, youth development along with environmental goals. At the operational level, the MPS will continue to be responsible for driving forward the initiatives and policies.

Finance and resources

38. The criteria, upon which environmental initiatives are judged is the same as for other investment i.e. better than a three-year payback or in the case of waste recycling, cost neutral. To extend environmental purchasing beyond these guidelines will often require an acceptance of a cost premium. If issues such as recycling and green procurement are going to have more than a marginal impact, this matter of finance will have to be addressed.

39. The outcome of separate independent audits undertaken by PwC (for Internal Audit) is expected shortly. These are expected to recognise the progress made but comment on the small level of resource currently available within the MPS to drive this forward.

Future Developments

40. We are seeking to develop the following initiatives, projects and policies in the medium-term:

• Publish a Special Police Notice detailing the management and operational responsibilities resulting from the MPS environmental strategies.
• Develop an environmental awareness and training programme.
• Review the investment criteria used to evaluate environmental initiatives.
• Register our MACC2 commitment.
• Review the existing energy strategy.
• Further develop the renewable energy purchasing strategy.
• Implement a service wide energy benchmarking scheme.
• Review the sustainable development strategy.
• Develop a waste management strategy.
• Promote the recycling of office waste and consumables.
• Develop the bio-diversity strategy.
• Evaluate and make recommendations on the further development of the pilot EMS.
• Complete the alignment of the building design standards to the aims of sustainable development.

Summary

41. This report presented the MPA's policies, largely as developed by the MPS, for dealing with environmental issues in relation to the policing of London. The MPA recognizes that there is much more that can be done and welcomes advice on how to take these issues forward as a new organization. In particular, we commend the commitment and efforts of the MPS in what many would not see as its core business.

Background Documents

Environment Strategy and Progress Report (Jan 2001)

Contacts:

The author of this report is Trevor Lawrence, Director, and Jude Sequeira (MPA)

For information contact:

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

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