The Environmental Audit Committee holds a one-off evidence session on the environmental sustainability of the Ministry of Defence, as part of its role to audit Government departments’ performance against sustainable development and environmental protection targets.

• Watch Parliament TV: Sustainability of the Ministry of Defence
• Inquiry: Sustainability of the Ministry of Defence
• Environmental Audit Committee

Purpose of the session

The hearing will examine areas where the NAO raised concerns within its report The Ministry of Defence: Environmental Sustainability, such as: 

• little progress being made on increasing the use of renewable energy; 
• failing to meet targets for domestic flights, paper use and water use; 
• and there being a lack of central oversight to ensure activities designed to achieve environmental objectives deliver.

The Department was responsible for half of the greenhouse gas emissions reported by central government in 2017-18 and is the single largest contributor the government’s totals across almost all other sustainability metrics. The Department is therefore critical to the government achieving net zero by 2050.

Witnesses

30 June 2020, virtual meeting

At 9:30am:

• Jeremy Quin MP, Minister for Defence Procurement
• Major General Nick Cavanagh CB, Director Strategy and Planning in the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)
• Air Marshal Richard Knighton, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Capability)
• Lieutenant General Richard E Nugee CBE, Chief of Defence People

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

Image: Parliamentary copyright