Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Eurostar offsets traveller emissions with Carbon Clear

As part of its new Tread Lightly campaign, Eurostar is now providing carbon-neutral journeys for all its passengers, at no extra cost to the traveller. In addition to its overall plans to reduce its emissions by 25% per passenger journey by 2012, where it is unable to eliminate emissions from a train journey, Eurostar is now offsetting them at its own expense.

Eurostar is working with leading carbon management company Carbon Clear to provide the carbon credits. Following a very stringent selection process, Eurostar and Carbon Clear have worked together to identify suitable projects and are currently investing in an Indian Windfarm in Tamil Nadu and a small Chinese Hydropower plant. These projects provide both environmental and social benefits by displacing fossil fuels in two of the developing world’s most polluting nations, while helping provide much-needed electricity and employment in poor communities.

Carbon Clear and Eurostar are jointly developing other sustainable energy projects that provide alternatives to traditionally polluting technologies. These include upgrading engines in Philippine mini-taxis and improving the performance of brick-kilns in Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Without Carbon Clear’s investment these projects would not happen.

Louisa Bell, Head of Environment for Eurostar, said: “We wanted to ensure that we sourced carbon credits from a reputable supplier, and that all our offsetting is done to the highest scientific and ethical standards. We wanted a company that is very close to its projects and could give us the opportunity to be involved in the choice of projects. Following an exacting selection process, we chose Carbon Clear to offset the emissions from Eurostar journeys.”

Mark Chadwick, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Carbon Clear, added: “Eurostar has a made a serious commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, and recognises that offsetting can reduce global emissions now whilst work continues on longer term measures. With Tread Lightly, Eurostar is one the greener options for short haul travel to Europe”.

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For further press information about Eurostar, contact:

Eurostar Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7922 4494
Email: press.office@eurostar.co.uk

For further info about Carbon Clear please contact:

Zoe Porteous / Kristina Tutlewski
Boutique Communications
Tel: 01273 620194
Email : enquiries@boutiquecommunications.com

Notes to editors:

Eurostar ran a very thorough selection process, which included environmental due diligence from a leading environmental consultancy. A number of European offset providers were approached but Eurostar chose to work with Carbon Clear as it was the leading supplier for quality projects and credible offsetting processes at this time.

Carbon Clear is the 1st full-service carbon management firm with ISO 14001 certification to be listed in the United Kingdom Register of Quality Assessed Companies, which includes entries for over 100,000 organisations. The ISO 14001 is a global environmental management standard. The Register includes companies both within and outside the UK.

About Eurostar

Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.
Under its ‘Tread Lightly’ initiative, Eurostar has set a target of reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 25% per traveller journey by 2012. Independent research has already shown that a Eurostar journey between London and Paris / Brussels generates one-tenth of the carbon dioxide produced by an equivalent flight.

St Pancras International is connected with seven mainline rail services at St Pancras, King’s Cross and Euston; and six London Underground lines. Through fares from 68 towns and cities across Britain to Paris, Brussels, Disneyland Resort Paris and destinations across France and Belgium start from £67 Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies. Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates a vehicle shuttle service and the Channel tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.

To book tickets for Eurostar, or to find out more information, go to www.eurostar.com, call 08705 186 186 or contact your travel agent.

About Carbon Clear (www.carbon-clear.com)

Carbon Clear is a carbon management company that works with businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. In addition to advising on emission reductions it also invests in projects to cancel out the pollution that is generated by everyday activities such as driving, home and business energy usage, flying and even nappy use.

Climate change is a real threat and by reducing our carbon emissions and offsetting the rest we can all make a difference. To make it as convenient as possible Carbon Clear calculates the level of carbon dioxide emitted by specific activities and then identifies projects that prevent the same amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere.

All of the projects Carbon Clear invests in are selected based on both carbon reduction and a wider social benefit for the communities implementing them. A great deal of care is taken to ensure money is directed to activities that genuinely improve the environment and the lives of real people and all projects must meet the following criteria:

Projects must have additional, long-term benefits to the communities that undertake them; these range from job creation to protecting endangered plants and animals Projects should follow the spirit of the Kyoto agreement; projects must make verifiable pollution reductions over and above their normal level. Projects must be efficient; funds aren't diverted to unnecessary bureaucratic overheads, waste or middlemen

By way of example, Carbon Clear is supporting an energy-efficiency project in Nicaragua, one of Latin America’s poorest countries. By working with a local not-for-profit organisation, Carbon Clear is investing in more efficient kilns that burn less wood and can even burn agricultural residues. It is estimated that over 11 million kg of wood is used each year in traditional kilns, contributing to rising CO2 levels, rapidly depleting local forest, and rising fuel costs for the local community. For each new kiln installed approximately 250 tonnes of CO2 will be saved through reducing unsustainable wood harvesting and burning more efficiently.

For further info visit: www.carbon-clear.com.