The British royal family commits to reducing its carbon footprint

Charles III, who regularly highlights his interest in ecology, had already converted his 6 Aston Martin DB1970 to run on biofuel. Now king, he intends to extend this type of environmentally friendly initiatives to the homes or means of transport used by the royal family.

In its 2023-24 annual report on the monarchy's spending, it announces its intention to convert its Bentley limousines to biofuel from next year, to electrify its automobile fleet in the longer term, and to switch to fuel Sustainable Aviation (SAF) as soon as possible for its helicopters.

Its royal properties in London will also be connected to district heating networks and equipped with heat pumps in the years to come.

As part of this “path to carbon neutrality”, Windsor Castle has already seen solar panels appear on its roofs for the first time.

These projects, all launched in 2023-2024, must “accelerate” next year, the royal family predicted in a press release.

This report also reveals that profits from the royal family's lands and properties, or "Crown Estate", have more than doubled to reach a record of 1,1 billion pounds (1,3 billion euros) last year, notably thanks to the growth of wind farms off the coast of the United Kingdom.

This heritage of the Crown, which is an important landowner and also maritime owner, includes a large part of the British seabed. The royal family can therefore grant authorizations to build offshore wind farms.

Its profits have increased in particular thanks to the payment of option fees from operators, in order to “reserve” an area in which they will install their wind turbines.

The income generated by the Crown Estate is paid to public finances, in exchange for an annual allocation (or "Sovereign grant") which makes it possible to finance staff salaries, the maintenance of palaces, official trips or royal receptions.

During the throne speech last week, the new Labor government announced plans to give the Crown Estate more room to borrow and invest in renewable energy projects, including wind.