This report examines the extent to which government departments and executive agencies are meeting targets to make their new buildings and major refurbishments more sustainable. Each year departments and agencies spend in the region of £3 billion on these projects, and if sustainability is handled well, it can and should provide better value for money in the long term. Key findings include: i) government is failing to meet the sustainability standards it has set for the construction and refurbishment of buildings on the government estate, as well as for sustainable operations targets set for carbon emissions, energy and water consumption; and ii) various barriers are hindering progress towards more sustainable buildings, including the fragmentation of policy responsibility among government bodies for improving sustainable construction and refurbishment, the absence of a coherent approach to monitoring progress and ensuring compliance, and the widespread perception of a conflict between sustainability and value for money.