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Govt3 - towards sustainable practice

Walking the talk to sustainability

Walking the talk to sustainability

Under the motto ‘walking the talk’, the Ministry for the Environment runs the Govt3 programme that helps central government agencies become more sustainable.

The Government spends at least $25 billion per year on goods and services.  Government is responsible for more than 30 percent of buildings in New Zealand. It also has an extensive impact on the environment, for example through its large workforce, its owned and leased buildings, IT, paper usage and vehicle fleet.

Govt3 is about practical action.  For example Transit New Zealand reduced its waste by 51 percent in 12 months and the Ministry of Social Development implemented energy saving measures with cost savings of more than $400,000 per year.

Govt3 promotes a learning by sharing approach where participating agencies learn from each other’s experiences. Govt3 runs regular network meetings, links up people across agencies and sectors, and provides case studies and technical information.

While the primary focus of Govt3 is on central government, the Ministry for the Environment strongly values partnerships with all sectors.

Govt3 is led by the Ministry for the Environment's Sustainable Industry Group, in partnership with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (on energy efficiency), the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economic Development and the State Services Commission (on sustainable procurement), and other agencies as appropriate.