One is cutting one's carbon footprint . . .

FOR years he has expounded on the importance of saving the environment – while at the same time being attacked for driving a gas-guzzling Aston Martin.

But now new accounts have revealed that Prince Charles has answered his critics in style by converting his beloved 1970 Volante DB6 to run on wine.

The move, part of a drive to reduce his carbon footprint, emerged in an annual review of the prince's activities which showed that he has slashed his household's carbon emissions by almost 20 per cent and offset the remainder.

The prince has cut down on air and rail travel – saving the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds – and switched to green electricity supplies.

And as well as running the Aston Martin by converting surplus alcohol sourced from a Wiltshire vineyard into bioethanol, other innovative measures include running his Jaguars, Audi and Range Rover on biodiesel from used cooking oil.

Sir Michael Peat, the prince's chief aide, said: "Charles only travelled two or three hundred miles a year in the Aston but he wanted it to be environmentally friendly. It just happened our bioethanol supplier makes the fuel from surplus English wine."

Green campaigners welcomed the environmental efforts, but warned that the Royal footprint was still huge. It was revealed as part of the Clarence House accounts for 2007-8, which also show the prince's private income rose by 7 per cent to more than £16 million.

The money generated by the Duchy of Cornwall – the landed estate given to the heir to the throne – increased by just over £1 million to £16,273,000 during the last financial year.

Charles's official spending, including that which went on charitable work and official duties, was £10.4 million.

His personal spending, including the salaries of 30 full-time staff, was £2.2 million, down from £2.6 million.

Sir Michael said the accounts showed the prince had a "special knack" of "seeing beyond fashion and political correctness".

The amount of produced by Charles's household fell by 18 per cent or 630 tonnes to 2,795 tonnes during 2007-8, the accounts revealed.

The year-on-year success has prompted the household to raise its medium-term carbon reduction target, from a drop of 12.5 per cent between 2007 and 2012 to one of 25 per cent.

Launching the publication of Charles's annual financial review, Sir Michael said: "One of the main focuses of the year has been his intensifying and developing work in the battle against climate change. We in the household have reduced our emissions by just over 18 per cent during the year to the end of this March – which is not too bad."

He said the accounts were similar to previous years, because the Royals' duties had remained constant.

"I hope it shows a good picture," he said. "I don't want to sound complacent but I really do believe that the contribution their royal highnesses make to national life continues to develop and broaden and strengthen.

"The Prince of Wales has a special knack of putting his finger on issues of underlying and long-term importance and for seeing beyond fashion and political correctness and there are some good examples in the annual review."

But Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Prince Charles has an enormous carbon footprint, and people in positions like his need to be setting a better example. However, it's great that he's shown the willingness to cut his emissions by such a large amount in one year, and we hope he continues to makes large cuts."

. . . but one's son is still flying all over the place

AS PRINCE Charles's accounts showed him to be intent on saving cash and the environment, it emerged that his eldest son had no such concerns.

Five helicopter flights by Prince William which attracted criticism as an alleged abuse of his RAF training cost the taxpayer more than £50,000, it was reported yesterday.

And a Ministry of Defence spokesman admitted there was some "naivety" involved.

A Chinook flight to attend a stag party on the Isle of Wight cost £8,716, according to figures gathered through Freedom of Information legislation.

He also used the military aircraft to fly over Highgrove and Sandringham to visit his girlfriend, and to join a wedding party in Northumberland.

The MoD spokesman said: "All flights undertaken by Flying Officer Wales were a legitimate part of his RAF training. In retrospect, there was a degree of naivety in the planning of training sorties that allowed Flying Officer Wales to attend private functions or land and take off from a privately-owned field."

FACT BOX

Green electricity supplies

The prince has installed wood-chip stoves at his country homes – the Highgrove estate, where he farms organically, and Birkhall in Scotland – and energy-efficient boilers at his Clarence House residence in London.

Air and rail travel

The cost of the prince's official travel by air and rail fell 22 per cent from £1.4 million to £1.1 million. The journeys by plane and train are paid for by the taxpayer through grants-in-aid. Charles and Camilla travelled 37,000 miles on official duties.

Environmentally-friendly cars

The Aston Martin, given to him by the Queen for his 21st birthday, now runs on surplus wine. His other cars – Jaguars, Audis and Range Rovers – run on biodiesel made from used cooking oil.

Sustainable consumption

The prince became patron of the Year of Food and Farming and in September 2007 launched the campaign, which aims to reconnect children with food and the countryside by encouraging them to grow their own food and visit local farms.