Founder members of WWF’s ‘One in Five Challenge’, which launched recently, include Marks & Spencer, Premiere Global, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Vodafone and Capgemini. The guided programme aims to help businesses cut twenty percent of their flights by 2014. “There is a very real appetite among big businesses to reduce the number of flights they take,” said David Nussbaum, Chief Executive of WWF-UK. “In a WWF survey, 89 per cent of FTSE 350 companies stated that they expect to cut business flights significantly in the coming decade and today’s launch confirms that the UK’s more forward-thinking companies are already taking the first steps to turn those good intentions into a reality.”

The independently audited scheme encourages businesses to seek greener alternatives to flying, from video conferencing to train travel, sets yearly flight reduction targets and helps companies to get their staff engaged with the project. And by providing a clear annual evaluation of the money and carbon saved by taking part in the One in Five Challenge, the programme also hopes to demonstrate that companies can remain competitive while cutting their carbon emissions.

Theresa Villiers, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, who spoke at the launch said: "If we are serious about tackling climate change, it is essential that businesses work together to start a dramatic shift to low-carbon travel, including more extensive use of realistic alternatives to flying. That is why I welcome WWF's ambitious One in Five Challenge, which aims to do just that - challenge and support businesses in reducing the amount of flying they ask their staff to do and cutting their carbon impact on the planet."