Britons who haven't yet given up baths, solar-panelled their roofs or swapped the SUV for a hybrid car can indulge in a little schadenfraude today. It turns out that the government - which emits as much CO2 as Liverpool - isn't doing much better than the rest of us at combating global warming.
A report out today by the Sustainability Development Commission reveals that the Cabinet Office is the worst offender in terms of environmental sustainability. Its carbon emissions have increased by 17% in the past five years and its leaky buildings mean it uses the equivalent of 72 kettles of water per person per day in its offices. The Exports Credits Guarantee department, meanwhile, did not even manage to file its data and fill in the SDC's questionnaire before the deadline.
Fittingly, perhaps, it was the Office for National Statistics that came out best, despite quadrupling its CO2 emissions thanks to an increase in staff numbers and fieldwork. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs managed a respectable second. Incidentally, Defra is urging people to recycle their Christmas waste this year - noting in passing that Britons will buy 830m sprouts during the festive season.
They also want you to buy Christmas presents made from recycled materials so that your local council can offload the contents of your recycling box more easily. One firm will even sell you a chair made from an old shopping trolley, though at £320 it might be cheaper to haul one out of the nearest canal.
