Companies say they are cutting down on the number of business flights they take

Almost nine out of 10 top UK companies hope to cut the amount of business flights they take over the next decade.

A study for WWF-UK found that almost two-thirds of Britain's biggest businesses are already reducing their business travel carbon footprint, while a further quarter aimed to do so.

Of the 100 FTSE 350 firms including RBS, Cadbury and Glaxo Smithkline which were surveyed by market researchers Critical Research, 89% hope to reduce flying in the coming decade.

While flights for the top companies are up 4% on average over the last year, the figure is expected to drop by 3% next year.

Some 85% of those questioned said they thought video-conferencing could help cut the number of flights they take.

The wildlife charity is urging British firms to cut one in five of the flights they take and use technology such as video-conferencing more widely in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint.

According to WWF, 22 million tonnes of CO2 would be saved each year if all EU companies were to cut business travel by 20% - a move equivalent to taking a third of the UK's cars off the road.

While the conservation charity acknowledges video-conferencing could not replace meetings with new clients or site visits, they claim that it could be used to combat rising fuel prices and improve employees' productivity.

WWF also said the findings undermined the Government's policy of building more runways and expanding airports to maintain the UK's competitiveness.

But while many companies are taking measures to cut their travel, another survey by Barclaycard Business suggests the changes are not filtering down to staff. The survey, in which 3,000 business travellers were questioned, found more than three-quarters (78%) were not adhering to their firm's environmental policy, and just 1% reduced travel as a result of it.