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Tread Lightly

We believe that global warming is real and that travelling is a contributing factor in climate change. But we also know that staying at home isn’t an appealing solution and that travel by Eurostar helps to make sure that you have a much smaller impact on the planet than flying to our destinations.

Everyone is talking about what needs to be done and we believe actions speak louder than words. That’s why over the next few pages we want to tell you more about what we are doing and how our plans are progressing.

You may have already heard that a Eurostar journey emits 10 times less carbon dioxide than flying to our core destinations. This was the starting point for our commitment to becoming greener still. Our first step was to launch our Tread Lightly initiative in April 2007. This set out our plans to reduce our impact on the environment and further increase our energy efficiency. As part of this we made a commitment to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 25% per traveller journey by 2012 and since 14 November 2007, all Eurostar journeys are now carbon neutral at no extra cost to our travellers

We have also made changes across the business, including setting up a new Environment and Energy team to make sure we deliver on our promises, and appointing 34 Tread Lightly champions across all departments of the business to really drive this forward. We’re also working closely with Friends of the Earth to make sure that we are up-to-date with the latest environmental and climate change thinking.

Offsetting

Our journeys are now carbon neutral at no extra cost to our travellers. This involves working with our selected partners whose projects deliver the carbon reductions that offset the emissions that we have not been able to reduce ourselves. Find out how we do it and why, here.

10-point plan

When we launched Tread Lightly we set out an environmental plan with 10 objectives for the next five years to make sure we are greener in everything we do. Find out what they are and how we’re getting on here.

FAQ

We ask questions all the time so we think you probably do too. Here’s a list of some of the things commonly asked.

Greener than flying

Eurostar releases 10 times less CO₂ than flying. Want the details? Look no further.

Places to Tread Lightly

We’ve put together a selection of inspiring European destinations, easily accessible by train, which prove that being green doesn’t mean sacrificing style and indulgence.

Environment

Hello to carbon neutral journeys

Sleep easy in the knowledge that we are offsetting all the CO₂ from your journey with high quality projects.

Actions speak louder

Find out how we are changing our ways and reducing our impact on the planet. From napkins to uniforms, we’re making a difference.

Where to Tread Lightly in style

From eating, visiting and shopping to sleeping, we’ve got some alluring suggestions for you. No hemp shirts or mung beans in sight...

10 times less CO₂ than flying

For our vital statistics, click here

Quotes

"Doing nothing is not an option. What Eurostar is doing is a plan for the future."
Stuart Rose, Chief Executive, Marks & Spencer

"Eurostar is leading the way by making a real reduction."
Tony Juniper, Executive Director, Friends of the Earth

"Eurostar have set a transport industry benchmark."
Stephen Joseph, Executive Director, Transport 2000