Firms hoping to cut number of business flights

A study for WWF-UK found that almost two-thirds of Britain's biggest businesses were already reducing their business travel carbon footprint, while a further quarter aimed to do so.

Of the 100 FTSE 350 firms surveyed by market researchers Critical Research, 89% hoped to reduce flying in the coming decade. While flights for the top companies were up 4% on average over the last year, the figure was expected to drop by 3% next year.

According to WWF, 22 million tonnes of CO2 would be saved each year if all EU companies were to cut business travel by 20% - a move equivalent to taking a third of the UK's cars off the road.

Some 85% of those questioned said they thought video-conferencing could help cut the number of flights they took. While the conservation charity acknowledged that such technology could not replace meetings with new clients or site visits, they claimed it could be used to combat rising fuel prices and improve employee productivity.