SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, has successfully cut 48% of its business flights as part of WWF’s One in Five Challenge, a programme that helps companies to reduce their reliance on flying, in favour of lower carbon alternatives.
In just three years, SEPA has:
- Cut: business flights from 2,121 to 1,101, a reduction of 1,020 flights
- Slashed: distances flown by 550,000km
- Reduced: CO2 emissions by more than 90 tonnes in avoided flights
- Saved: over £100,000 in travel costs
“By ensuring all SEPA offices have videoconferencing facilities we have reduced our dependence on travelling between offices, saving time, money and resources and improving efficiency. It is essential that SEPA continues to find new and innovative ways to harness technology and find low-carbon travel and communication solutions.”
Campbell Gemmell, SEPA chief executive
SEPA recognises the value of their employee’s involvement in reducing carbon emissions from travel. They are embedding a culture of questioning the need to travel by providing a Travel Decision Tree, which helps identify travel solutions for employees’ business needs. SEPA’s achievements are being maintained in part through the development of a strategy to support more flexible and remote working – equipping employees with alternatives to travel, such as videoconferencing, in all offices.
WWF’s One in Five Challenge helps companies and government cut their costs as well as their carbon emissions by flying less and using alternative ways of staying connected.
To read more about the One in Five Challenge: http://www.anywhereworking.org/wwfs-one-in-five-challenge/
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