Thursday, February 11th 2010 at 00:00 AM
National Trust To Cut Fossil Fuel Use In Half By 2020
The National Trust has unveiled plans to reduce its use of fossil fuels by 50% over the next 10 years, to achieve its goal of reducing its energy consumption by 2020.
The trust – the UK's largest private landowner and custodian of many of Britain's most treasured historic buildings – said the move would cut its carbon emissions from energy use for heat and electricity by 45%. That would exceed the government's overall target of a 34% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020, though the trust said the initiative would not cover the millions of car journeys by visitors.
The plans are set out in detail in a new report, Energy – Grow your own (pdf), which analyses the challenges of harnessing renewable resources in a sustainable way within the context of the natural and historic environment.
The initiative will apply to the trust's entire building stock, which includes 300 major historic houses, office buildings, visitor centres and 360 holiday cottages. The trust currently spends nearly £6m a year on electricity, oil and gas and said there was "a direct business incentive" for better use of energy.
By Rebecca Smithers, guardian.co.uk, Thursday 11 February
To read the full article please visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/10/national-trust-fossil-fuels
