The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has announced it will implement wide-ranging sustainability measures within its diplomatic corps.
As part of its goal of becoming the world’s ‘greenest’ diplomatic service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office intends to replace the official cars assigned to its international diplomats with all-electric or hybrid vehicles. The UK’s embassies in Oslo and the Holy See have already received low-emission vehicles; and a further 30 embassies across four continents will replace their current vehicles by April 2020: the programme will include the installation of electric vehicle chargers at diplomatic posts. Embassies will only be permitted to purchase cars powered by fossil fuels as a ‘last resort’, in locations where hybrid and electric vehicles are not available or serviceable.