Tackling climate change begins at home - PM
9 January 2007
Tony Blair says we can all help combat climate change by making small changes to our lifestyles - including at Number 10.
In an interview with Sky News, as part of their Green Britain week, the PM spoke about the challenges everyone faces from environmental change. He told Julie Etchingham:
"We went through Downing Street and looked at what we could do: we realised that you can get all your electricity off renewable energy sources, which we now do."
Staff in Number 10 also now turn the thermostat down, recycle more and use energy efficient light bulbs.
Turning to the threat to the environment posed by air travel, Mr Blair admitted he would be reluctant to pressure people to stop taking overseas holidays - or indeed to stop flying himself. He explained:
"I personally think these things are a bit impractical to expect people to do. I think that what we need to do is to look at how you make air travel more energy efficient, how you develop the fuels that will allow us to burn less energy and emit less."
Mr Blair pointed out that Britain is one of just two countries in Europe which will meet the targets on emissions set out in the Kyoto treaty - and that the UK is being credited around the globe for pushing hard on the issue.
"Everywhere I go in different parts of the world, people are talking about it."
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Blair had paid for his New Year break in Miami to be "offset" and would do the same for future holidays abroad.
He said the move was a "logical extension" of the Government's policy of offsetting all official ministerial travel.
"(The PM) has now asked for his personal flights to be offset. He will do that personally," he said.
