The Government has, this week, presented a package of actions to deliver the step change needed to ensure that supply chains and public services will be increasingly low carbon, low waste and water efficient, respect biodiversity and deliver wider sustainable development goals.

The UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, allied to the Treasury's recent “Transforming Government Procurement” report, forms the key response to the business-led Task Force report.

In June, the Government also set a series of sustainable operations targets for the Government office estate, including a pledge to go carbon neutral by 2012 and to reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2020. Achieving the existing sustainable operations targets will help deliver about one million tonnes of CO2 savings by 2020.

The Action Plan puts in place clear lines of accountabilities and reporting, and develops plans to raise the standards and status of procurement practice in Government which will strengthen delivery of these targets. Alongside the Action Plan, Government is also publishing an updated set of mandatory environmental product standards, that will ensure Departments procure the most sustainable commodities.

Environment Secretary David Miliband said: “The Government accepts the Task Force's challenge to “use its immense buying power “ to make rapid progress towards our goals to move to a low carbon economy.

“Public sector purchasing power must be harnessed to transform the market for innovative and sustainable solutions to make them more widely available and affordable to others.

“Procurement is key in tackling climate change and as a Government we must do more and practise what we preach in terms of tackling climate change.”

Financial Secretary to the Treasury John Healey MP said: “Over the next decade procurement will become more central still in achieving value for money for the taxpayer and delivering the public services people need and expect. “Transforming Government Procurement” will underpin the search for innovative procurement methods and increased skills capability.

“We know that good procurement is sustainable procurement and we will work in tandem with the Government's Action Plan to strive for a carbon neutral estate by 2012 as we support the UK in meeting its Kyoto targets and tackling climate change.”

Head of the Civil Service Sir Gus O'Donnell, who will oversee the Action Plan, said: “Government's purchasing power is enormous. I, and the head of the Government procurement service, will be leading the drive to deliver sustainable procurement across the whole of Government. This response sets out how Government should meet the challenges identified by the Task Force report.”

Sustainable Procurement and Operations Board chairman Sir Ian Andrews added: “All Departments have agreed that good procurement can only mean sustainable procurement. This Action Plan will be crucial to delivering the Government's challenging sustainable operations targets for its own land and buildings.”