The Environment Agency has banned staff from taking most domestic flights and flying to cities such as Paris and Brussels, in a bid to lead by example.
The government quango has banned flights to places inside and outside the UK that can be easily reached by train, with most trips to continental Europe now also to be taken by train.
But staff will be permitted to fly to Edinburgh and Glasgow in exceptional circumstances because the train is slow and expensive, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
Paul Leinster, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: “We aim to lead the way on environmental performance. Our restriction on domestic air travel builds on previous and continuing action on business mileage, energy use, waste to landfill and renewable energy generation. It’s another important step in reducing our carbon emissions.
“Reducing energy use, carbon emissions and waste can all help to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts.”
The quango has already reduced business car mileage by 24% over the past four years and is expected to save approximately 30 tonnes of carbon a year through its new policy.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been criticised for allowing staff to take more than 1,000 domestic flights, including 26 return flights to Manchester, which could be reached in under three hours by train.
