Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Prince of Wales do to reduce his own carbon footprint?
The Prince of Wales has been an environmental leader for nearly 40 years, working with businesses, governments and other organizations to help protect the environment and tackle climate change. Their Royal Highnesses’ Household actively works to minimize its carbon emissions. Carbon emissions under the Household’s control were reduced by 31% between 2007 and 2011.
The Household monitors its carbon emissions closely and they are independently audited each year. Some of the ways in which carbon emissions are managed are given below.
Office and domestic energy use
The Household takes active steps to reduce its use of fossil fuels and about half of the Household’s office and domestic energy use (mainly for heating and lighting) comes from renewable sources. These include:
· Woodchip boilers at Highgrove, Birkhall and Llwynywermod;
· Ground- and air-source heat pumps at Highgrove;
· Solar panels at Clarence House and Highgrove;
· Electricity purchased from renewable sources.
The Household also takes steps to improve energy efficiency. These include:
· Replacement of older boilers with more efficient models
· Improving building insulation
· Upgrading computers to low-energy models
· Using low-energy light bulbs
· Detailed monthly monitoring of energy use for each office and residence including the use of “Smart Meters” and ensuring staff switch off lights and equipment when not needed.
Travel
Travel in the UK and overseas on behalf of the government is an essential part of Their Royal Highnesses’ work and carbon emissions vary each year according to the diary of engagements, many of which are outside of the Household’s control. However, the environmental impact of travel is taken into account when planning the diary, alongside other considerations such as cost and security arrangements. In addition, the Royal Train runs on bio-diesel made from used cooking oil and The Prince’s Aston Martin runs on fuel made from wine wastage.
Public transport is used for staff travel as far as possible and most staff walk, cycle or use public transport to get to and from work. Cycling is also supported through a cycle-to-work scheme and the provision of shower and changing facilities.
The Duchy Home Farm
Greenhouse gas emissions are an unavoidable impact of agriculture; they come mainly from nitrogen in manure and crops (nitrous oxide) and from livestock (methane).
The farm is managed to try to minimize emissions through the careful timing of manure applications and the sowing of plants that “catch” the nitrogen. By incorporating cattle manure and plant-matter in the soil, significant quantities of carbon can be stored, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. Avoiding energy-intensive artificial fertilizers also reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain.
Steps are also taken to reduce fossil fuel use. A “conservation tillage” machine that uses significantly less fuel than a conventional plough is being trialed, energy-efficient heat exchangers and solar thermal heating help reduce electricity use in the dairy; and a large array of solar panels has been installed to provide the dairy and other buildings with renewable electricity.
Further information
The Prince of Wales continues to help address the challenge of climate change through the work of his various initiatives and projects, often in partnership with governments, the private sector and non-governmental organisations. These include the International Sustainability Unit (which works to facilitate a consensus on tackling environment-related challenges such as food security, ecosystem resilience and the depletion of natural capital), and sector-based initiatives such as the ‘ClimateWise’ group of leading insurance companies, the ‘P8’ group of leading pension funds and the Legal Sector Alliance, The Prince’s May Day Network of over 3,500 UK businesses and The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project.
In overall terms, His Royal Highness adopts an integrated approach to tackling environmental problems, encompassing not just efforts to reduce his Household’s carbon footprint and energy use and his specific environmental projects and initiatives but also his work in many other fields. This work covers a wide range of inter-connected areas, from encouraging sustainable agriculture, supporting small farmers and highlighting the importance of local food sourcing and better food education, to promoting a more sustainable approach to planning and designing homes and communities in a way that enhances and adds value to the social, natural and built environment.
The Annual Review provides further information, including a Sustainability Account that provides a detailed breakdown of The Household’s carbon emissions and energy use.