Annual review 2006 - The Prince of Wales

ENVIRONMENTAL
AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Prince of Wales has been raising environmental issues
for many years, and during 2005-06 His Royal Highness
made a special effort through speeches, media interviews,
and meetings with business leaders, to highlight growing
concerns about the environment and to encourage
companies and individuals to reduce the harmful impact
of their activities on the natural world.
In a speech to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in May 2005, The Prince
called on companies to adopt a more sustainable approach to doing business,
one that took into account the impact of their commercial activities on the
environment. He said: “I suggest that, as a minimum, we need growth that
is not achieved at the expense of the ‘natural capital’ on which we all
depend. As with fi nancial capital, when we do spend natural capital we need
to ensure that we are doing so wisely, and that we take steps to replenish
it, if not for ourselves then for our children and grandchildren. This means
accepting the concept of natural limits in a resource-constrained world.”
The Prince of Wales seeks to practice what he preaches, and much has
been achieved in recent years in reducing the impact of his Household’s
activities on the environment. His staff’s engagement in environmentallyfriendly
practices, such as recycling and energy saving, is now part
of everyday life, and more energy-effi cient means of transport (such as
driving more fuel effi cient and ‘hybrid’ cars) are used where possible.
At Highgrove a wood-chip heating system is being installed (and there
are plans to do the same at Birkhall, Their Royal Highnesses’ home in
Scotland), water is recycled in a natural sewage system, and solar panels
provide heat for the dairy.
TOP TO BOTTOM
The Prince of Wales repairing
hedgerows at the Highgrove Estate.
The Prince and The Duchess
of Cornwall plant a tree on the
Highgrove Estate.
In addition to enhancing effi ciency, and reducing emissions as a result,
The Prince has offset his carbon emissions with effect from April 2005.
The emissions are offset by investing, via a specialised agency, in
sustainable energy projects and energy effi ciency initiatives, both in this
country and abroad. An additional advantage is that the offset investment
supports sustainability projects which might not otherwise receive funding.
Having said that, energy effi ciency and reducing emissions will always
remain a priority.
In this respect, in Autumn 2005 The Prince commissioned a report to
determine the ‘carbon footprint’ of his entire Household, including the three
residences at Clarence House, Highgrove and Birkhall. The report included
a complete review of all the Household’s electricity use, commuter and
other staff travel by car, train and air, as well as Their Royal Highnesses’
personal travel. (It was The Prince’s desire to reduce carbon emissions
from his own transport use that contributed to his decision in 2005 to stop
playing polo, because time restrictions often determined that His Royal
Highness had to travel to and from polo games by helicopter.)
08 | ANNUAL REVIEW 2006