WWF asks Government to cut 'excessive' flights
12.06.10
Environmental charity WWF (formerly the world wildlife fund) has called on the UK Government to reduce the number of ‘unnecessary’ flights its various departments take. The call comes after the charity published a report on the number of flights taken by staff at Government departments, which reveals 90% are within the UK.
A spokesman for WWF said: ‘It's shocking that 9 out of 10 flights by Government officials are within the UK. Businesses have cut wasteful spending on unnecessary flights during the recession, yet this report shows that very few Government departments have made similar efforts.’
According to the research carried out for WWF by JMP consultants, Government departments could cut 600,000 flights, reduce CO2 emissions by over 59,000 tonnes and reduce spending by more than £100 million over the next 3 years. This offers 'a huge opportunity to cut costs and emissions - as shown by the star performers Defra and the Department for Education, which have reduced flight costs by 39% over the last 3 years,' the spokesman added.
WWF classed Belfast, Brussels, Geneva, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, as journeys which could be ‘reachable or replaceable by train, ferry or videoconferencing’. These were the top destinations taken by Government staff, according to the report.
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