What is the Carbon Neutral Public Service?

The Carbon Neutral Public Service (CNPS) programme aims to demonstrate government leadership on sustainability by reducing government’s environmental impact.

It will do this by making the 34 core public service agencies carbon neutral. It will make sure the six lead agencies are carbon neutral by 2012 with the other 28 agencies being on the path to carbon neutrality by 2012.

How does the programme work?

The programme involves a three-step process.

1. Measuring the greenhouse gas emissions from each agency’s activities.
2. Reducing those emissions.
3. Offsetting remaining emissions by undertaking projects to remove an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or prevent it being released.

All 34 agencies will complete an annual emissions inventory, develop an emissions reduction plan for their organisation and implement the actions in their plans. The programme will use New Zealand-based projects to offset the greenhouse gas emissions that cannot be avoided after emissions reduction activities have taken place.

You can find out more on the CNPS programme by visiting the Ministry for the Environment website.

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/sustainability/public-service-carbon-neutrality.html

Our emissions inventory and reduction plan

Department of Corrections is one of the government agencies taking part in the Carbon Neutral Public Service programme.

You can find our emissions inventory and reduction plan for 2006/07 below.

• Department of Corrections Emission Reduction Plan 2007-2008 (pdf: 155KB)
• Department of Corrections Emission Inventory Report 2006-2007 (pdf: 155KB)

Highlights from our emissions inventory and reduction plan are that:

• we have upgraded the hot water system/supply to Christchurch Laundry to improve/meet minimum hot water temperatures. This involved the installation of a back-up high efficiency boiler and a Solar Hot water System.
• we will develop a workplace travel plan to reduce our emissions from domestic and international transport.
• we will review the efficiency and sustainability of the vehicle fleet.

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