Gordon Brown has pledged to set a personal example on climate change and stressed that he did not do "very much" overseas leisure travel.
The Chancellor acknowledged that he had to demonstrate his commitment to tackling global warming through his actions.
His comments come after Prime Minister Tony Blair said this week that he would not give up long-haul holiday flights and added that people could not be expected to make unreasonable sacrifices.
Mr Brown, who is expected to take over as Prime Minister within months, said: "I don't think in the modern world any top-down solutions or any sort of pulling of levers works anymore unless there is individual and social responsibility involved.
"In other words, you've got to take people with you and therefore I think you've got to show by your actions that you are not only doing what you expect other people to do but you can actually make a difference by these actions."
Asked in an interview with Sky News whether he offset his carbon emissions incurred through travel, Mr Brown said: "I don't do actually at the moment very much international travel for leisure.
"It's mostly for business (and) we do offset. The Treasury offsets, Parliament offsets and I think that is right."
Mr Brown also called for greater international action and cooperation, which he indicated he would work to secure over the next year.
The Chancellor said investment in science and technology, new market mechanisms, personal responsibility, new forms of public investment and green incentives would help to make an impact.
But he insisted that a post-Kyoto agreement - including the US, China and India - was vital.
