The government believes it will exceed its target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its occupied buildings.

The target is a reduction of 12.5% by March 2011 but, according to current projections, it will achieve a 17.8% reduction by that date.

The Office of Government Commerce and the Sustainable Development Commission today published data showing year-on-year cuts in carbon emissions.

In the last financial year CO2 emissions from offices fell 10% relative to a 1999/00 baseline. The reduction the previous year was 6.3%.

Rebecca Willis, vice chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, said: “We have seen improvements from road transport, water, waste and recycling targets.

“The next task for government is to get to grips with its supply chain, and to look at the performance of all government agencies, including its non-departmental public bodies.”

More than 120 initiatives have been implemented or are planned, including energy meters and software that automatically turns off computers at night.

Next year the government will launch Energy Efficiency Whitehall, a £2.75 million competition for products and systems that will cut electricity use in its buildings.

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