About the Department
The Climate Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network is responsible for the emissions reduction targets of the Velocity Interoperability Network, for the adaptation of the Network's sites and services to a changing climate, and for climate reporting by departments and member organisations. It compiles the Network's emissions inventory, maintains the climate risk register and publishes a quarterly report on progress against the targets.
The Department was established on 6 September 2026. On the day of its establishment it published the Network's baseline emissions of 184,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent for the twelve months to 31 August 2026, reduction targets of 15 per cent by 2028, 35 per cent by 2030, 60 per cent by 2035 and net zero by 2040, an adaptation programme of seven works at the six principal sites, and the arrangements under which departments and member organisations report their emissions.
The Department does not itself operate the Network's sites, fleets or supply contracts. Reductions are made by the departments and member organisations responsible for them; the Department sets the targets, measures progress and publishes the results. Adaptation works are delivered by the Interior Department, which manages the principal sites, and responses to climate emergencies are led by the Emergency Management Department. The Department's role is to identify what needs to be done, to agree the programme and to report on it.
Responsibilities. The Department's work falls into six areas.
- Emissions targets
- Setting the Network's emissions reduction targets against the baseline, keeping them under review and reporting progress towards them each quarter.
- Emissions inventory
- Compiling and publishing the Network's inventory of emissions by source, scope and site, and publishing the conversion factors used to calculate it.
- Adaptation planning
- Planning works to protect the principal sites and services of the Network from flooding, extreme heat, storms and water shortage, with the departments that manage the sites.
- Climate risk assessment
- Maintaining the climate risk register, rating each risk by likelihood and impact and assigning a lead department to it.
- Climate reporting
- Collecting quarterly emissions returns from departments and member organisations, verifying them and publishing consolidated reports for the Network.
- Guidance
- Issuing guidance to departments and member organisations on measuring, reducing and reporting emissions and on preparing for climate risks.
The Department's targets and programme are reviewed every two years, and the climate risk register annually. Changes are announced in the Newsroom. For the Department's origins and the milestones since its establishment, see History. General enquiries may be sent to contact@climate.gov.vin.