Go-Ahead first transport group to secure landmark certification on energy management after cutting carbon emissions by 70%
The Go-Ahead Group has received a landmark recognition for best practice in energy management after slashing carbon emissions across its services by 30% in just three years, and by nearly 70% over the past ten years.
Having already held the certification for rail services, Go-Ahead has now become the first public transport group to secure this globally recognised certification for all its bus and rail UK operations.
The ISO 50001 landmark, accredited by the International Standards Organisation, a UN-endorsed body, is a standard of excellence for energy management.
The award is evidence of Go-Ahead’s commitment to emissions reduction, a smaller carbon footprint and improved air quality, through measures including running one of Europe’s largest electric bus fleets.
David Brown, CEO of Go-Ahead, said “This is recognition of our drive to keep Go-Ahead at the forefront of emission reduction and represents a big step forward for the transport industry as a whole.
“However, this is just the beginning. We are targeting a further 20% reduction by 2021 and we are confident of reaching this ambitious target.
“We recognise the role of public transport in tacking climate change and are already investigating how we can improve resilience to our business in the face of extreme weather events. We are also working to incorporate the financial risks and opportunities of climate change into our reporting so that we can operate responsibly for the long-term.”
Judith Turner, Environment and Energy Technical Manager at Lloyd’s Register, the company that run the accreditation process, said: “Go-Ahead’s certification to ISO 50001 demonstrates their commitment to energy efficiency and continual improvement.
“Their recently certified energy management system can help them achieve greater carbon and energy reductions and will take them one step closer to achieving their ambition of positioning public transport as part of the solution to climate change.”
In September, Go-Ahead launched the UK’s first ever air-filtering bus that makes the air around it cleaner as it travels. This innovative bus cleans the air in Southampton 1.7 times a year to a height of 10 metres. It was the latest in a series of green innovations by the company, including investing in a Frankfurt-based electric car sharing business Mobileeee.
The operator is additionally working with regulators including the Department for Transport and Transport for London to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including supporting phasing out diesel buses in London by 2037, and taking all diesel-only trains off the track by 2040.
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