WWF helps leading firms cut business flights and save £21m
Green travel news – by GreenWise Staff
18th June 2012
Twelve leading UK firms, including Lloyds TSB, BSkyB and Marks and Spencer have reduced their business flights by 41 per cent as a result of taking part in a programme run by WWF.
New figures released last week show the 12 companies that have joined WWF’s One In Five Challenge since it launched in July 2009 have collectively cut their flights by 73,848 – saving £21 million in avoided flights and reducing carbon emissions by 26,455.
The challenge is for the community of businesses that join the scheme to cut their business flights by 20 per cent within five years and achieve a reduction in emissions.
WWF said that more than half of members had already achieved the challenge, with Lloyds TSB cutting its flights by 26 per cent in a single year.
Data findings
The challenge is for the community of businesses that join the scheme to cut their business flights by 20 per cent within five years and achieve a reduction in emissions.
WWF said that more than half of members had already achieved the challenge, with Lloyds TSB cutting its flights by 26 per cent in a single year.
Data findings
The five companies that joined the scheme in its first year have after two years reduced the number of flights they take from 141,000 to 83,000 – an average decrease of 11,600 flights each. The reduction in flights has led to a cut in expenditure on average of £2.4 million for each firm and a carbon saving and an average decrease in emissions of 3,600.
A further nine companies that joined the scheme later have in a year reduced the number of flights they take by 41,000 from 221,000 to 179,000 – a 19 per cent cut. They in turn have reduced their costs by £1.5 million on average and by 1,500 tonnes of CO2.
One In Five members
A further nine companies that joined the scheme later have in a year reduced the number of flights they take by 41,000 from 221,000 to 179,000 – a 19 per cent cut. They in turn have reduced their costs by £1.5 million on average and by 1,500 tonnes of CO2.
One In Five members
Current members of the One in Five Challenge are Balfour Beatty, BSkyB, BT, Capgemini, Lloyds TSB, M&S, Microsoft, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. Scottish Government, Skanska, Vodafone UK and WWF-UK. Together they represent over 300,000 employees and take over half a million flights.
WWF said the One In Five Challenge members achieved their results by using a variety of measures including questioning the need for travel, including flights in corporate carbon reporting and increasing their use of rail, video and audio conferencing.
Commercial benefits
WWF said the One In Five Challenge members achieved their results by using a variety of measures including questioning the need for travel, including flights in corporate carbon reporting and increasing their use of rail, video and audio conferencing.
Commercial benefits
Jean Leston, Senior Transport Policy advisor for WWF-UK, said members were discovering significant commercial as well as environmental benefits by taking part in the scheme.
“Members say that lower carbon ways of staying connected are actually helping them to increase their efficiency, citing less time spent out of the office, faster decision making, productivity gains and increased collaboration to be the main benefits from using technology to replace the need to travel.”
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“Members say that lower carbon ways of staying connected are actually helping them to increase their efficiency, citing less time spent out of the office, faster decision making, productivity gains and increased collaboration to be the main benefits from using technology to replace the need to travel.”
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