According to a report by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, departments and ministries had lowered their emissions by four percent by 2006-07 compared to 1999-00 levels, against a target of a 12.5 percent reduction by 2010-11.

It said that the government was relying too heavily on purchasing carbon offsets, and not enough on actually reducing its own emissions, noting that just 0.0004 percent of all electricity consumed by the government was from on-site renewable energy.

"Until the government shows that it is living up to its commitments, it will find it hard to maintain the moral authority to influence the rest of us," said committee chairman Tim Yeo.

British central government offices produce approximately 2.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to around 0.4 percent of Britain's total emissions.

The committee said that the government had to increase levels of personal responsibility for environmental and sustainability issues among civil servants, which meant more training and incentives were required for all bureaucrats, not just those at the most senior levels.

It added that the use of offsets should also be capped to encourage more investment in on-site renewable energy.

Britain has pledged to introduce the world's first legally-binding targets to cut carbon emissions, setting a goal of at least a 60 percent reduction in emissions by 2050.