High street stores to advise government on energy and emissions

After the easyCouncil and John Lewis local authority, comes the Marks & Spencer ministry. The high-street giant, along with Tesco, B&Q owners Kingfisher and HSBC, has been asked to advise national government on saving money.

The companies have been given a special role in helping ministers meet their pledge to cut energy use across government by 10 per cent in their first year in office. The pledge was one of the very first promises of the new coalition and was announced against a backdrop of banners for the 10:10 climate change campaign, which is supported by the Guardian. The initiative is "inspired by 10:10".

Under the guidance of the high-street stalwarts, departments are embarking on a range of measures, to be outlined today, from the straightforward-but-important business of installing motion sensors so lights go out when offices are empty (or ministers sit still for too long), to inter-department competitions and pep talks by inspirational speakers to persuade staff to do their bit by boiling less water or taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Although primarily seen as a green policy, led by one of the two environmental departments, the financial savings are the focus, said Greg Barker, the Conservative climate minister.

"If you get them by the finances, the hearts and minds will follow," Barker told the Guardian.

"There's an absolute imperative in making sure these savings come from energy bills and [not] from elsewhere; so that really focuses minds," added Barker, referring to tough budget cuts to be announced this autumn. "Also if they can cut this there will be more money for frontline services."

Longer term, reductions would continue and eventually departments could cut energy use so low that government could generate more power than it uses from renewable sources on its land and buildings, said Barker. "Ultimately my ambiti on is [for] government to become a net exporter of energy," he said, citing the possibility of electricity from wind turbines or solar panels and heat from biogas and biomass.

On only his third day in the job the prime minister, David Cameron, walked the 350 yards from 10 Downing Street to the Department for Energy and Climate Change in Whitehall Place to announce the 10 per cent target, and declared his government would be the "greenest ever".

Following the announcement, a cross-government committee was set up to oversee the new goal. As well as 19 central departments, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Kingfisher, HSBC and EDF Energy have also been given seats.

Perhaps the most important lesson from M&S – famous for its Plan A campaign: "because there is no Plan B" – has been the importance of ongoing leadership from the top, said Barker.

"It's not enough to just have a campaign, it has to be constantly lead from the top, and has to be continued, month in and month out," said Barker, citing the PM's involvement, and the decision to give the Treasury joint ownership of the 10 per cent target.