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Stagecoach Group retains Carbon Trust Standard

Posted: 2 March 2012 | Stagecoach Group | No comments yet

Stagecoach Group has again been awarded the prestigious Carbon Trust Standard after taking tough action on carbon reduction…

Stagecoach Group has again been awarded the prestigious Carbon Trust Standard after taking tough action on carbon reduction.

The Group has shown a significant improvement in carbon efficiency over the two year certification period, since its initial certification was awarded, and during the same period the company also cut its emissions on an absolute basis in the UK overall.

Stagecoach Group reduced carbon emissions relative to the turnover of their UK businesses by 5.6% in the two years to 30 April 2011 as a result of a package of measures designed to make Stagecoach Group more sustainable. This reduction follows a 5.7% carbon efficiency improvement in the three years to 30 April 20091.

The Carbon Trust Standard provides a rigorous independent assessment of the carbon performance of businesses and public sector organisations. Third-party assessors carry out a detailed evaluation to ensure companies are measuring, managing and making real year-on-year reductions in carbon emissions.

Stagecoach Group’s certification covers all of the company’s bus and rail operations in the UK, which are used by around 2.5 million passengers a day. Stagecoach Group is only the second public transport group to re-certify to the Carbon Trust Standard.

Sir Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: “We believe in growing our business sustainably. Cutting carbon and using energy more efficiently has been at the heart of our business strategy for many years. It makes good business sense and helps keep prices down for our customers.

“Our employees and local eco-teams across our business can be proud of their hard work. As well as helping protect the environment in our local communities, we are offering smarter and better-value bus and rail travel. We will continue to work hard to achieve the stretching carbon reduction targets we have set ourselves for the years ahead.”

Darran Messem, Managing Director of Certification at the Carbon Trust, said: “We are delighted to recertify Stagecoach Group’s on-going commitment to carbon reduction. Stagecoach Group’s ability to seek out new areas to improve energy efficiency proves that, with the right level of skills, tenacity, and support, it is possible to improve carbon efficiency year-on-year, which has a hugely positive effect on Stagecoach Group’s reputation, and the business as a whole.”

In 2010, Stagecoach launched Revolution in the Way We Travel, a five-year plan to reduce further the carbon emissions from its transport operations in the UK and North America. Stagecoach Group is targeting an overall reduction of 8% in carbon emissions from buildings and a cut of 3% in carbon emissions from annual fleet transport by April 2014. Specific stretching targets have been set for each of its bus and rail businesses, supported by an £11million green investment programme.

Stagecoach initiatives underway in the UK include:

  • investing in a hi-tech eco-driving system, which is expected to reduce fuel consumption at the Group’s bus division by 4%. The scheme also offers employees the chance to earn “green points” that are converted into financial benefits from a potential £900,000 annual bonus pot.
  • becoming the UK bus industry’s leading investor in new hybrid electric buses, which deliver a 30% reduction in carbon emissions compared to standard vehicles. The Group has placed orders for 142 hybrid electric buses in the past year.
  • increasing the number of vehicles running on biofuel, as well as testing other sustainable recycled biofuels.
  • installing a new ‘intelligent’ lighting system, which uses movement sensors to determine the amount of light required, at a number of bus depots and railway stations across the UK.
  • improving energy management systems at offices and depots to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.
  • investing £2.2 million at South West Trains in a major regenerative braking project to save energy on more than 200 trains.
  • using an innovative fuel additive on East Midlands Trains, which has demonstrated a 4.4% improvement in fuel economy.
  • introducing an innovative energy-saving engine standby system to reduce carbon emissions from idling trains.

Stagecoach reports annually on its carbon emissions through its corporate website, www.stagecoach.com, and also provides information on its global carbon footprint to the Carbon Disclosure Project, the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emissions database.

Stagecoach has won a number of awards in the past year for its environmental initiatives. In October last year, Stagecoach, along with Alexander Dennis Ltd., won the Green Award at the 2011 Route One Operator Excellence Awards for the introduction of hybrid-electric vehicles. The Group also won the Travel and Transport Award at the 2010 Green Business Awards and, in July 2011, Stagecoach was Highly Commended as Company of the Year at the inaugural BusinessGreen Leaders Awards.

Independent research published last month also officially recognised Stagecoach as Britain’s best value major bus operator. Transport specialists TAS found weekly travel with Stagecoach was on average 17.5% cheaper than other bus operators. Recent research by Stagecoach also found that travelling by bus instead of commuting by car could save drivers around £150 a month2.

References

  1. The reductions quoted are based on the Carbon Trust approved relative measure of tonnes CO2eq/£ turnover. This measure reflects the fact that the scale and geographic footprint of the business can change as its commercial and contracted services develop.
  2. Stagecoach research published January 2012. See link for full details: http://www.stagecoach.com/media/news-releases/2012/2012-01-16.aspx

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