5th July 2007

Jonathon Porritt, environmental campaigner and local Green party member was challenged by the press for having flown more than 62,000 miles in the past year. Read Green party comments and his own.

Porritts' 42 flights include trips to Aberdeen and Belfast as well as European destinations, and places further afield such as Cape Town in South Africa and Vancouver in Canada.

Mr Porritt, from Cheltenham, points out that all flights were taken in his capacity as founder director of Forum for the Future, co-director of The Prince of Wales's Business & the Environment Programme and chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission.

Cllr Philip Booth, a spokesperson for the Gloucestershire Green party, said: "The debate about Jonathan Porrit is a distraction, what we really need to focus on is that our Government still hasn't grasped the urgency or the need for radical changes. The present rate of growth in air traffic is unsustainable, yet we still see plans for airport expansions like at Staverton and Bristol. UK aviation carbon emissions grew by 11% last year alone. The truth of it is that we must cancel all airport expansions. Yes we do need people to take responsibility - but much more important is the need for the Government to take a lead. Individual actions to tackle climate change are great but will never go far enough."

Philip Booth said: "We need action to make those who pollute pay for their damage and 'green' choices to be made easier if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change: travelling the same journey by train would have meant 17 times fewer CO2 emissions. A weekend in Prague should not be cheaper than a weekend in Bournemouth."

Philip Booth added: "Green campaigners constantly risk accusations of being hypocrites. Yet life is full of grey areas and being pure and virtuous is never as easy, nor perhaps even as desirable, as it might appear. We have seen climate change  campaigners like Ken Livingstone and Al Gore similarly have their CO2 emissions challenged. It seems that if you can smear the person, then you can also undermine the message. Such smears can damage: prominent people who might support green causes don't speak out for fear of having their supermarket bills fished out of their bin. Indeed every time a 'green hero' is shot down in flames, we all feel that little bit more cynical about our politicians and leaders. Meanwhile greenhouse gas emissions continue to soar. As Climate Change author Mark Lynas wrote: 'Being a purist may be comforting, but it is unlikely to change the world.'"

Mr Porritt revealed the statistics on his website after a question from the public was posted. He states: ".... I believe any activists/champions in this area need to be up-front about their own carbon footprint. There are no personal flights included .... as I have taken none. There are many times in the year when I have little choice other than to fly. I have spent 35 years getting quite good at articulating this sustainability stuff and (hopefully) inspiring others to get things sorted out themselves. I am nearly 57 years old now, and have decided to just 'go for it' for the next three years, to help press every influential button I can during that time. So, once I have judged that an opportunity is worth pursuing strategically, then how I get there is a secondary - albeit still very important issue. When I can use video-conferencing, I do. When I can use the train in the UK, and time allows, I always do. I don't have a car. Do I feel guilty about all that? Absolutely not. Do I feel responsible for making sure that decisions are taken conscientiously and that the resulting impacts are managed properly? Absolutely!"