Danish newspaper to tackle journalists’ air travel, and promote only lower-carbon holidays in its travel section
Major Danish newspaper Politken is reported to be planning to refocus its travel section to destinations easily reachable without flying. The holidays it will write about will be domestic, Nordic, and northern European destinations which are easily reachable by public transport. Politiken is also to try to stop its journalists taking domestic flights, for news stories within Denmark. More significant still, it is hoping to put restrictions on the staff’s international air travel, so this would be permitted only when absolutely necessary and if such journeys are offset by contributions to “credible climate initiatives”. The paper has also recently launched its own online climate calculator enabling users to work out the average carbon impact of their air and road travel. In the UK, even newspapers like the Guardian, which do excellent and extensive coverage of climate change topics, also take numerous adverts for flights and holidays by air. They also have a travel section that encourages people to take more holidays, many to destinations only reachable by plane.
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Danish newspaper tackles journalists’ air travel in bid to cut CO2
Politken is reportedly planning to refocus its travel section to destinations easily reachable without flying
Major Denmark broadsheet Politiken pledges to end domestic air travel and minimise international flights for assignments
Journalists at major Danish newspaper Politken will no longer be able to travel by plane for domestic assignments in an effort to reduce the broadsheet’s climate impact, according to reports.
In addition, restrictions are being placed on the company’s international air travel, with the paper’s staff permitted to travel by plane outside Denmark’s borders only when absolutely necessary and if such journeys are offset by contributions to credible climate initiatives, reports the Associated Press.
Politiken’s editor-in-chief Christian Jensen made the announcement on Sunday, explaining the paper’s travel section is also being revamped to focus on domestic, Nordic, and northern European destinations which are easily reachable by public transport.
The paper has recently launched its own online climate calculator enabling users to work out the average carbon impact of their air and road travel.
Headquartered in Copenhagen and founded in 1884, Politiken is one of Denmark’s three main newspapers along with Berlingske and Jyllands-Posten.
In comments reported by AP, Jensen said opinion polls in the country showed climate change was now the top issue for voters ahead of the upcoming general election in Denmark, which is set to take place in June.
Last year the Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen set out plans to ban the sale of conventional petrol and diesel cars from 2030
It follows moves in neighbouring Norway to tackle aviation’s impact on the climate, with the government aiming for all domestic flights to be undertaken by electric aircraft by 2040, in addition to minimum biofuel requirements on airlines from 2020.
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Danish newspaper to cut carbon footprint, drops most flying
January 6, 2019 (Associated Press)
HELSINKI (AP) — One of Denmark’s main newspapers is pledging to reduce to its carbon footprint by ceasing domestic air travel and reducing international flights for assignments to a bare minimum.
Christian Jensen, editor-in-chief of Politiken, said Sunday that from now on all international flights by the paper’s staff, only when absolutely necessary, should be offset by contributions to climate initiatives.
The paper’s travel section will be refocused to cover domestic, Nordic and northern European destinations easily reachable by public transportation.
Jensen said opinion polls in the environmentally-conscious Nordic country showed that climate change has emerged as the No. 1 issue on voters’ minds before Denmark’s upcoming general election later this year.
Politiken, founded in 1884, is one of Denmark’s three main newspapers along with Berlingske and Jyllands-Posten.
https://www.apnews.com/b31a0e98d1134f8b94ae8db5f5d0d2b8
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