Campaigners say the UK government is ill-equipped to meet its green commitments, and urgent reforms are needed to protect the natural world and strengthen the economy. WWF-UK today backed a call for major reforms - including a new Office of Environmental Responsibility - to equip government to deal with urgent environmental issues that could otherwise cost billions to fix and put long-term economic stability at risk.

Greening the Machinery of Government by former government adviser Duncan Brack shows how outdated Whitehall structures have led to short-term and piecemeal approaches to dealing with species and habitat loss, pollution and climate change.

For example, the projected share of total energy investment and transport spending on high-carbon fossil fuels, roads and airports for 2014-15 has risen from 15% to 49%, suggesting that wider objectives to reduce emissions will be difficult to achieve. Better joined-up government, with the environment a central consideration, could help avoid such contradictory policy approaches.

The independent report asserts that responsible environmental stewardship should now be treated as a top-tier issue along with social and economic concerns – and that this would strengthen economic performance and social wellbeing. Improving urban air quality alone could save up to £20 billion in avoided health costs.

To equip Whitehall to meet pressing environmental challenges WWF-UK is calling for range of reforms, including:

• A 25-year plan on the environment, overseen by a new Office of Environmental Responsibility to advise and hold government to account.

• The appointment of a Cabinet-level Chief Secretary for Sustainability in the Treasury, tasked with ensuring the economy is sustainable, resource-efficient and low-carbon.

• The UK National Security Strategy’s remit should include environmental risks, such as those posed by flooding and climate change, and these should be discussed regularly by the National Security Council (Chaired by the Prime Minister).

The recommendations build on WWF-UK’s ‘Greener Budget’, which sets out recommendations to help to shift the UK to a resource efficient, low-carbon economy.

These include introducing a ‘stress test’ to evaluate risks to the UK economy and businesses from environmental degradation; incentivising energy efficiency and low-carbon industry growth by enabling the Green Investment Bank to borrow from the private sector; and establishing a requirement for the Bank of England to take sustainability issues into account when regulating financial markets.

WWF-UK has set out three main priorities for the major political parties ahead of the 2015 election: save the world’s forests and wildlife; make sure the UK has healthy rivers and seas; build a clean, 21st century economy – and do what we promised on climate change.

Director of Advocacy, Trevor Hutchings, commenting on the new report said: “This is a blueprint for a greener government and a stronger economy. All those vying to form the next government should embrace these sensible recommendations. If backed by real political will, these reforms would ensure Whitehall works more efficiently to deliver sustainable growth. They would help address threats to our environment and put our economy – which is dependent on the goods and services that nature provides – on a more resilient footing.”

‘Greening the Machinery of Government’ and ‘A Greener Budget: sustaining our prosperity in a changing world’ are both available at www.wwf.org.uk.