- Ministry paper requirements slightly lower - costs higher
The paper consumption of the Hessian state government has decreased slightly compared to the previous year. In total, the state ministries and their subordinate areas ordered around 298.36 million sheets of copy paper in 2023, as revealed by a parliamentary inquiry from the FDP faction in the state parliament. In the previous year, it was still 331.998 million sheets of paper. The costs for the paper orders in 2023 amounted to around 2.031 million euros, which was more than in the previous year (around 1.659 million euros).
The state government is aware of its responsibility for resource-saving handling of paper and is also putting a stronger focus on reducing paper consumption for environmental reasons, explained Hessian Finance Minister Alexander Lorz (CDU). However, federal legal framework conditions also have to be considered, which provide for the creation of documents in paper-based written form, especially when there is no consent for data transmission.
Reduced paper consumption thanks to digitalization
Above all, the public administration is contributing to a lower paper consumption through the advancing digitalization, said Lorz. Among other things, he referred to the introduction of a new document management system for electronic file management, the digitalization of work and coordination processes, the good hardware and software equipment of the employees, as well as the electronic case file in the judiciary and the possibility of creating tax returns electronically without paper forms.
On the other hand, the digital political spokesman of the FDP faction, Oliver Stirböck, criticized the still high paper consumption of the state government. "If stacking paper were an Olympic sport - the Hessian state government would be solidly on the medal course. It consumed almost 100 Eiffel Towers worth of paper last year," said Stirböck. Although the consumption has decreased slightly compared to the previous year, "this cannot hide the fact that it is still an ecological and economic burden." It is also "evidence that the digitalization cannot continue at this snail's pace." Regulations that still prescribe paper must be abolished.
The Hessian Finance Minister, Alexander Lorz, acknowledges the importance of the government's role in managing paper resources efficiently, considering both environmental concerns and federal legal frameworks. Despite advances in digitalization, the state government continues to order a significant amount of paper for regulatory purposes.
