Targets
The Climate Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network sets the emissions reduction targets of the Velocity Interoperability Network. The targets apply to every department of the Network and to every member organisation, and are measured against a single baseline: the Network's emissions in the twelve months to 31 August 2026, as recorded in the Emissions Inventory.
The baseline. The figures below summarise the baseline. They were compiled from returns supplied by 47 member organisations during the transition period from 10 August to 5 September 2026, converted to tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent using the Department's conversion factors for 2026.
- 184,600
- Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted in the baseline period, the twelve months to 31 August 2026
- 68,900
- Tonnes from purchased electricity and heat, 37 per cent of the baseline
- 41,300
- Tonnes from fuel burned at Network sites and in fleet vehicles
- 74,400
- Tonnes from business travel, freight, purchased goods and services, waste and commuting
The baseline is a provisional figure. It will be revised once in the Department's first annual report, published in April 2027, to take account of late returns and corrections, and thereafter held fixed so that progress can be measured consistently. Where a member organisation joins or leaves the Network the baseline will be adjusted for its emissions and the adjustment published.
The reduction targets. The Department has set three interim targets and a final target. Each is expressed as a percentage reduction against the baseline and as a ceiling on the Network's emissions in the target year.
- 15%
- Reduction against the baseline required by the end of 2028
- 35%
- Reduction against the baseline required by the end of 2030
- 60%
- Reduction against the baseline required by the end of 2035
- 2040
- Year by which the Network's emissions must reach net zero
| Target year | Reduction against baseline | Emissions ceiling (tonnes CO2e) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | 15 per cent | 156,900 | Interim |
| 2030 | 35 per cent | 120,000 | Interim |
| 2035 | 60 per cent | 73,800 | Interim |
| 2040 | Net zero | 18,500 residual, balanced by removals | Final |
Net zero in 2040 means that the Network's residual emissions, which the Department expects to be no more than 18,500 tonnes, are balanced by an equal quantity of verified removals. Removals may not be counted towards the interim targets, which must be met by reducing emissions. The Department will publish its criteria for the removals it will accept before the end of 2028.
Sector targets. The reduction targets are supported by targets for the five areas of activity that together make up 75 per cent of the baseline. Each is measured against the position recorded in the baseline period.
| Area | Baseline position | Target | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity supply | 22 per cent of electricity under zero-carbon supply contracts | 60 per cent under zero-carbon supply contracts | 2028 |
| Electricity supply | 22 per cent of electricity under zero-carbon supply contracts | 100 per cent under zero-carbon supply contracts | 2030 |
| Fleet vehicles | 9 per cent of the fleet zero-emission | 80 per cent of the fleet zero-emission | 2030 |
| Building heating | Fossil-fuel boilers at all six principal sites | No fossil-fuel heating at the principal sites | 2035 |
| Business travel | 21,600 tonnes | 40 per cent reduction against the baseline | 2030 |
| Waste | 38 per cent of waste diverted from landfill | 70 per cent diverted from landfill | 2028 |
Electricity supply is the largest single lever. Moving the Network's electricity to zero-carbon supply contracts by 2030 removes 58,200 tonnes from the baseline, almost the whole of the 2030 target on its own. Building heating is the slowest, because it depends on replacing plant at the principal sites during their planned refurbishment; it is therefore given until 2035. The fleet, business travel and waste targets fall to the departments and member organisations that run vehicles, travel and dispose of waste, and their progress is reported separately in each quarterly report.
How the targets are applied. The targets bind the departments of the Network. Member organisations are expected to adopt them, and their emissions are counted in the Network's total whether or not they do. Each department and member organisation reports its emissions quarterly under the arrangements set out on the Reporting page, and the Department publishes the consolidated position against the targets in its quarterly report. Where the Network is off course, the Department will say so and set out what is required to recover.
The targets will be reviewed every two years, beginning in 2028. A review may tighten a target; it may not loosen one without a published statement of reasons. Questions about the targets may be sent to contact@climate.gov.vin. For answers to common questions, see the frequently asked questions.