Stagecoach along with Alexander Dennis scored at coup during the early stages of the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow by providing 10 battery-electric BYD ADL Enviro400EVs to transport hundreds of VIPs – including world leaders and their entourages – to a reception event at the city’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery on the evening of 1 November.
The buses were sourced via a partnership between the two companies that is a COP26 Provider. Stagecoach’s London fleet is their ultimate home, but they came to Glasgow directly from ADL’s Falkirk factory. Among those travelling on the Enviro400EVs were Prime Minister Boris Johnson and United Nations Secretary General António Guterres.
Says Stagecoach Chief Executive Martin Griffiths: “We are proud to be playing an important part in COP26 and we are delighted that world leaders have chosen greener bus travel, which is central to meeting global climate ambitions.
“Stagecoach is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in new clean electric and other zero-emission buses, but one of the biggest positive changes people can make individually in addressing the climate emergency is by switching from cars to more sustainable public transport, cycling and walking.”
Stagecoach has targeted a zero-emission UK bus fleet by 2035 as part of its commitment to becoming net zero by 2050. Earlier in 2021 it introduced six Volvo 7900e opportunity charged battery-electric buses to its West Scotland fleet in Kilmarnock. The group will soon bring into service 46 more battery-electric models in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth.
Adds ADL President and Managing Director Paul Davies: “COP26 is focused on finding solutions to the climate emergency and we are proud to demonstrate a zero-emission solution right now.
“Clean electric buses such as the ones that we are building for Stagecoach are key to reducing transport emissions around the globe and encouraging modal shift to sustainable transport.” The BYD ADL partnership has so far delivered or taken orders for over 1,000 battery-electric buses.
