How Green is your Parliament? "Not Very" say Liberal Democrats

12.56.47pm GMT Wed 9th Nov 2005

Campaign to stop climate change

As MPs prepare to debate two important Private Members' Bills on climate change and sustainable energy, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary Norman Baker MP has published a report showing that the Houses of Parliament are failing to play their part in efforts to tackle climate change and other environmental concerns.

The report, How Green Is Your Parliament?, draws attention to key failings on the parliamentary estate which show that whilst MPs are urging people take action to protect the environment, their words are not being backed up with action in their own parliamentary surroundings.

Key findings of the report into practices on the parliamentary estate show:

• Water consumption has risen by 58% since 1997.

• Electricity consumption has risen by 45% since 1997.

• Gas consumption has risen by 34% since 1997

• It would take enough trees to fill Green Park twice every year in order to offset the 10,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide produced to power the House of Commons

• Environmental damage of food purchasing: bottled water purchasing has risen 85% since 2001; 1 in 3 beers and ciders purchased are produced overseas; 1 in 3 fish species purchased are from threatened fish stocks.

• Polluting Transport: MPs continue to drive whilst people are urged to take public transport; parliamentary estate lacks Green Transport Plan whilst businesses are urged to develop them

Commenting, local MP Annette Brooke, who takes the train between London and Poole, walks from her London flat to Westminster and who drives a small, low-fuel consumption car while on constituency business says:

"This report highlights the disturbing lack of action by the national parliament to clean up its act and lessen the environmental impact of its own activities. On a whole range of issues, from cutting energy use and water consumption to recycling waste and reducing food miles, our parliament is going the wrong way.

"It is all very well for us as MPs to call on the general public to act and take measures to protect the environment, but how can we expect them to listen if we do not do this ourselves? The time has come to back up the many words spoken with real and concerted action so that we can set an example for the rest of the country to follow.

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Environment, Norman Baker said:

"I hope that this report will help the parliamentary authorities to identify the areas that need rapid improvement in order to lessen the environmental impact of our activities here in parliament. Perhaps then the next time someone asks "How Green Is Your Parliament?" we do not have to respond "Not Very."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• A list, The Top Ten Reasons Why Parliament Isn't Green is attached

• Copies of the full report are available from the office of Norman Baker MP. Contact Tom Fewins on 0207 219 2864 or fewinst@parliament.uk

Why Parliament Isn't Green: The Top Ten Reasons

Water consumption UP since 1997

• Water consumption has risen by 58% since 1997.

• This is equivalent to leaving the tap on for over 13 years - or enough to fill 28 Olympic-sized swimming pools or 875,000 baths a year

Electricity consumption UP since 1997

• Electricity consumption has risen by 45% since 1997.

• This rise is enough to supply over 1,500 households every year.

Gas consumption UP since 1997

• Gas consumption has risen by 34% since 1997

• This rise is enough to supply an extra 25,807 households every year

Bottled Water Consumption UP

• Clean, safe and far cheaper tap water is available, yet more is spent on purchasing purchasing bottled water.

• Sales to staff UP 39% since 2000; purchasing for debates and committees UP 85% since 2001.

Enough electricity to supply a small town

• The total amount of electricity used in the House of Commons is enough to supply over 5,000 households

• This is enough for a town the size of Newhaven, East Sussex

Over 2 billion units (kWh) of gas used every year

• This is enough for 102,687 households

CO2 emissions: enough trees needed to fill Green Park twice over

• Total amount of energy used to power the House of Commons produces over 10,000 tonnes of CO2 a year - the equivalent of 1,677 households

• To offset this 2012 trees would have to be planted every year

• This would form a wood up to 72 acres - large enough to cover the entire site of the Palace of Westminster 9 times or almost twice the size of Green Park

Talking the talk, but not walking the walk

• Recycling bins are provided but rubbish is put into the general refuse

• Energy efficiency efforts undermined by a 40% cut to the budget since 1997

• Hundreds of lights and appliances left on when MPs are away

Environmentally damaging food purchasing

• UK produce spurned for overseas products - 29% of all beers and ciders are sourced from abroad

• Endangered fish stocks: one in three of the fish species purchased are threatened

Polluting Transport

• Despite excellent public transport links, MPs enjoy perks on car parking and travel allowances.

• Whilst businesses are encouraged to develop Green Transport plans, Parliamentary authorities refuse to consider introducing them.