The Yorkshire Building Society has announced it has achieved full carbon neutrality and switched to green electricity' in all its branches.

Renewable resources will provide 80 per cent of all energy it uses within the next four months.

By making the step Yorkshire Building Society is following the Bradford & Bingley bank which earlier this year announced it had managed to completely offset carbon emissions, making it the first West Yorkshire firm to do so.

Yorkshire Building Society has been reducing in carbon dioxide emissions for some years and has a number of other initiatives planned to further reduce its carbon footprint. The society has also just launched its Home Energy Efficiency Mortgage, one of a raft of new policies focusing on energy efficiency.

Mary Blackwell, its environmental manager, said: "As a mutual organisation it is important for us to be a responsible corporate citizen not only in the communities where we operate but also to the wider environment.

"Becoming carbon neutral is one way we have been able to demonstrate this and to announce our achievement today, World Environment Day, seems appropriate.

"We have agreed targets with the Carbon Neutral Company for reducing our carbon footprint year on year and I am confident that we will achieve these goals. I am determined that the effort we are putting in will make a real difference."

Sue Welland, of the CarbonNeutral Company, said: "We are delighted to be part of the CO2 reduction plan of Yorkshire Building Society. This kind of complete commitment is what's needed to effectively tackle climate change."

And the finance companies are not the only ones looking to a greener future.

The air industry has long been criticised for its lack of ecological soundness but Flybe, which operates from Leeds-Bradford Airport, has taken steps to address the issue.

The airline has unveiled its eco-labelling' scheme whereby passengers will be informed of the fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise patterns of the aircraft. This will allow them to decide whether to offset their journey.