Although the vast majority of UK company directors are making efforts to reduce their carbon footprint at home, most are not applying the same principles to the environmental impact of their business, new research reveals.

Despite the publicity surrounding businesses’ role in combating climate change, the study by Citrix Online showed that while 93 per cent of bosses were adding greener elements to their personal lives, the issue was not high on their work agenda.

Less than one in four directors viewed cutting carbon emissions as a workplace priority, with 29 per cent believing it is an issue with no relevance to business.

Almost a third of respondents admitted they wouldn’t be embarking on any green business initiatives in the next year, while 5 per cent said they did not believe in global warming and thought the government was using the issue as a way of raising taxes.

When questioned about the main driver behind carbon reduction, 43 per cent thought cost savings outweighed any potential benefits to the environment.

“We each have a responsibility to the environment and company directors have the power to make more of a difference by reducing the carbon footprint of their business, as well as their home,” said Simon Presswell, of Citrix Online.

“Consumer choice is now driven more and more by ethical issues and this will only increase in the future. Cost-cutting is obviously important but we must not lose sight of our responsibilities to our planet and this is where new technologies can help.”