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by Karma Loveday

NAO identifies government leadership as a critical enabler of green success

The National Audit Office (NAO) has identified government leadership and designing and implementing successful interventions as key enablers for realising national ambition on climate and environmental policy. This included the Environment Act, Climate Change Act and other commitments, and followed an extensive series of document reviews and workshops.


On leadership, the NAO said strong leadership from lead departments and the centre of government was “critical”. To achieve this, it said the government should:

  • Create a culture of shared commitment to delivery of climate change and environmental goals – by ensuring effective arrangements to coordinate across government and secure buy-in from senior leaders; embedding environment and climate change in business planning; and ensuring arrangements for effective joint working with local government.

  • Integrate climate change and environmental ambitions with each other and wider policy objectives – by managing the links between different policy areas and supporting integration with a land use framework.

  • Provide clear strategic direction through overarching long-term plans – by clarifying roles, responsibilities and the timing of key decisions; supporting long-term, strategic planning in delivery bodies; and supporting long-term investor confidence. 


On designing and implementing successful interventions – important for the senior officials across government responsible for green interventions – the NAO highlighted:

  • Proactively planning for the resources and skills needed.

  • Supporting the people and organisations involved with the changes required to make progress.

  • Developing approaches that support well-managed risk taking.

  • Collecting, using and evaluating information to understand what is working and when to change course. 


The report observed: "Achieving the government’s legislative climate change and environmental targets requires sustained and coherent action over successive parliaments, and substantial progress over the next five years.” It recommended embedding environment and climate change considerations into the forthcoming Spending Review, the government’s growth mission, and reviews of environmental improvement and net zero strategy.

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