The German environment ministry is to introduce a policy of paying compensation for the amounts of carbon dioxide emitted on ministerial business trips, in a scheme it believes will pave the way for the rest of the government to do the same.
"From now on we will calculate how much CO2 is produced due to business trips of all our employees - whether by car, plane or helicopter," Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's environment minister, told Bild am Sonntag. "At the end of the year we'll add up the total and invest an appropriate sum in developing countries to offset the amount of damage to the environment caused by my ministry."
Mr Gabriel said the environment ministry would be the forerunner but he expected other ministries and government departments, including the chancellery of Angela Merkel, to follow soon.
"Eventually it will be possible to say that the government is working in a climate-neutral way," he added. He said the costs of implementing the policy change for the environment ministry would amount to about £66,000.
His policy had the backing of Mrs Merkel, he said. "She very much likes the idea and is supportive of it."
The finance minister, Peer Steinbrück, has agreed to change the laws governing ministerial budgets so that money is freed up to pay for the offsetting of emissions.
While welcoming Mr Gabriel's initiative, environmental watchdogs criticised the minister for failing to suggest a reduction in the number of trips taken, or switching the government's official cars to less powerful, more energy-efficient models.
"From now on we will calculate how much CO2 is produced due to business trips of all our employees - whether by car, plane or helicopter," Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's environment minister, told Bild am Sonntag. "At the end of the year we'll add up the total and invest an appropriate sum in developing countries to offset the amount of damage to the environment caused by my ministry."
Mr Gabriel said the environment ministry would be the forerunner but he expected other ministries and government departments, including the chancellery of Angela Merkel, to follow soon.
"Eventually it will be possible to say that the government is working in a climate-neutral way," he added. He said the costs of implementing the policy change for the environment ministry would amount to about £66,000.
His policy had the backing of Mrs Merkel, he said. "She very much likes the idea and is supportive of it."
The finance minister, Peer Steinbrück, has agreed to change the laws governing ministerial budgets so that money is freed up to pay for the offsetting of emissions.
While welcoming Mr Gabriel's initiative, environmental watchdogs criticised the minister for failing to suggest a reduction in the number of trips taken, or switching the government's official cars to less powerful, more energy-efficient models.
Source: The Guardian
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