UK government misses own green targets

Report quietly published last month shows efforts to cut government's carbon emissions, domestic flights, waste and water usage fell short on all counts

The government has failed to meet its own targets for cutting the environmental impact of the state's operations, according to a Defra report quietly published last month.

The "greening government commitments", which began when David Cameron declared he would lead the "greenest government ever" in 2010, were intended to deliver big cuts in carbon emissions, domestic flights, waste and water usage.