THE CARBON footprint of Friday’s royal wedding in London could be 10 times the annual emissions from Buckingham Palace, even though it will be turning off the lights that night – to the great distress of US television networks.
It has been estimated that some 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be released from activities on the day of the wedding with a further 4,000 tonnes of CO2 to be released solely from public travel to be a part of the event.
Lucy d’Arville, director of the Achilles carbon reduction programme, estimated this would amount to 10 times the annual emissions of the palace “when considering factors such as guest travel, the reception and the crowd visiting London”.
But she said this “once-in-a-lifetime impact on Britain’s carbon emissions” also provided a unique opportunity for Britain to demonstrate global leadership by taking positive steps towards long-term reductions in CO2 emissions.
Without wanting to spoil the party, Ms d’Arville suggested guests and crowds could choose car pooling and the use of low-emission vehicles, including trains, to travel to the wedding. “Where possible, air travel should be avoided,” she said.
“Even though turning off the lights will have a small impact relative to the overall emissions from the wedding, Buckingham Palace is showing a commitment to carbon reduction and demonstrating a positive step towards long-term sustainability.”
She called on Westminster council to provide “ample waste management options” such as recycling bins, so as much waste as possible is recycled and to encourage people lining the streets to “use them appropriately”.
Other low-carbon options advocated include using electronic communications rather than print. “Broadcasters should try using electricity only when needed rather than waste resources when they are not filming or broadcasting,” Ms d’Arville said.
Reducing carbon emissions was not a matter of convenience, but of necessity.
“All companies and organisations should be leaders in carbon reduction and encourage their suppliers, customers and key stakeholders to do the same.”
