Paxman slams BBC on climate 'hypocrisy'

The Newsnight presenter has claimed that while its programmes take a "high moral tone" over climate change, as an organisation the BBC was doing hardly anything to clean up its own act.

He said that the BBC looked like "corporate hypocrites" over its decision to shy away from off-setting its own carbon emissions.

Paxman said: "The BBC's environment correspondents, even the makers of series like Planet Earth, are trapped in a bizarre arrangement in which they travel the globe to tell the audience of the dangers of climate change while leaving a vapour trail which will make the problem even worse.

He added: "It strikes me as very odd indeed that an organisation which affects such a high moral tone cannot be more environmentally responsible."

He claimed that some correspondents were forking out from their own pockets to off-set the cost of their flights - as BBC chiefs are against spending licence fee payers money on "off-set arrangements".

Carbon off-setting schemes allow people to compensate for emissions from flights by planting trees.

But there have recently been concerns that some of the schemes may be ripping off well meaning people after ministers revealed that just five out of 60 actually work.

Paxman claimed he had been told by BBC bosses that the "biggest impact" the BBC could make on help saving the environment was through its shows.

He claimed a corporation-wide policy was "urgently needed" as countless BBC journalists and production staff are set to jet off to Beijing for the next Olympics.

The BBC is also well-known for sending an army of journalists and executives on foreign junkets.

Only last week it was under fire after it flew 37 people over to an economic summit at a Swiss ski resort, clearly at odds with Paxman's call for the corporation to minimise air travel.

Paxman, writing in BBC in-house magazine Ariel, also described the BBC's recycling practices as "laughable" and criticised the corporation's decision to film programmes like Robin Hood abroad, because it is cheaper, claiming it had taken no account of "carbon costs" of all the "to-ing and fro-ing".

He also described digital broadcasting as "environmental idiocy" and claimed that if commercial companies like Marks and Spencer could commit to being carbon neutral - then why could not the public service broadcaster.

The University Challenge host has become so concerned about the BBC's attitude to the issue that he has drawn up his own five step plan for the corporation.

In this he calls for a "comprehensive assessment" of the BBC practices, a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by three per cent each year and all BBC vehicles to be "green".