Monday, June 04, 2007

PR for Eurostar


Train travel gets on board the ‘horse-drawn’ bandwagon?

From: Eurostar advertising

"Tread Lightly. Two words. One commitment.
A whole new approach to European travel.


Global warming is a scientific fact. No one can afford to ignore it. Travellers are worried about it. And the industry is talking about it. But actions speak louder than words.

You may already be aware that a Eurostar journey is 10 times less polluting than flying. But we believe that everyone can do more. So, from November 14th 2007, the day we open at St. Pancras International, we are changing the way we operate as a business. We have now launched Tread Lightly, an initiative designed to further reduce our impact on the environment (what scientists call our ‘footprint’) and to help our travellers do the same.

As part of this initiative, we have made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 25% per traveller journey by 2012. Consequently, we will be making changes across all areas of our business, from the big things like energy efficiency, paperless ticketing and waste management, through supply chain selection to smaller cultural changes like recycling in our offices.

Any remaining emissions will be offset, at no cost to the traveller, meaning that from November 14th 2007, Eurostar is proud to offer carbon neutral journeys.

We’re on a journey. A very important one. And, as ever we’re delighted to have you with us."



My slight confusion arises in trying to reconcile these two statements:

“Any remaining emissions will be offset, at no cost to the traveller, meaning that from November 14th 2007, Eurostar is proud to offer carbon neutral journeys.”

So carbon neutral by 2007 ~ Splendid.

“we have made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 25% per traveller journey by 2012.”

Does this mean that they go from Carbon Neutral journeys (2007) to Carbon Negative travel (2012) as they reduce emmissions by a further 25% ?

Is it me, or does this lack ‘joined up thinking’?

Perhaps the "Tread Lightly" quotation needs to finished as intended by W.B.Yeats; " Tread lightly because you tread on my dreams."

Dream on Eurostar!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like they're planning to become a net carbon remover rather than producer between 2007 and 2012. I wonder how they'll achieve that. Maybe they're going to build a lot of trees along the sides of the tracks over the next 5 years.