Stagecoach has scored a win for public transport in the latest benchmark assessment of company performance on addressing climate change from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
The B rating given by the not-for-profit charity puts the operator firmly ahead of the road transport sector, which scored an average of D, and slightly ahead of the global average of B-.
A B score is given by CDP to organisations that are “taking co-ordinated action on climate issues.” Information given to CDP also resulted in Stagecoach receiving an A rating for emissions reductions initiatives, an A for governance and an A- for targets.
It comes after the operator this year published its sustainability strategy Driving Net Zero: Better Places to Live and Work, where it set out plans to decarbonise its business by around 70% by 2035 and target a zero emissions UK bus fleet by that date. Investment is planned to cut the company’s annual emissions by 351,945 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) by 2035.
“We’re delighted with CDP’s ranking, which reflects our commitment to creating a greener, smarter, safer and healthier country,” says Sharon Vye-Parminter, Health, Safety and Environment Director for Stagecoach Group. “This is a significant step forward which also gives us a great platform to build upon with the plans in our ambitious sustainability strategy.
“We are committed to building further on the progress we have made in recent years on tackling climate change and becoming more energy efficient. The new plans we have outlined as part of our strategy will help to ensure that public transport continues to play a vital role in helping the country to achieve its environmental objectives.”
