Green accounting goes public

NERC becomes first public sector body to cost out environmental impact Taking its own mission to heart, the Natural Environment Research Council has spelled out what its work costs - to the environment. It reckons that £2.1 million would be the price of making itself a zero-impact operation. NERC’s latest annual report contains a pioneering set of environmental cost accounts, worked out for NERC by Forum for the Future. The biggest impact it has, not surprisingly, is through energy usage - mainly by its research ships, aircraft, and buildings. Reducing its overall emissions by around 60% - without cutting back on the actual scientific research that it exists to do - will be a key challenge for NERC. Project leader David Bloomer says that the environmental accounts will become an important business management tool, and that the associated targets and performance indicators “will help us improve our performance and assist in forward planning” on handling risks and liabilities.

10 November 2004