Stagecoach is marking Scottish Climate Week by working to cut tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions a year from its business, as it targets a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2035.
Investment in clean technologies, including new electric buses, are expected to deliver an estimated annual reduction of around 67,000 tonnes of CO2e from its fleet of more than 1,200 buses in Scotland.
A £21.4m fleet of 46 new fully electric buses is being introduced by Stagecoach in Aberdeen, Perth and Kilmarnock this year as part of the Scottish government’s Ultra-Low Emission bus scheme.
It follows the UK’s first fleet of six fully electric buses serving rural communities, which went into service earlier this summer under a partnership between Stagecoach and SP Energy Networks. These EVs will connect villages along the Irvine Valley with Kilmarnock town centre.
Separately, five Scottish Citylink coaches in east Scotland have been fitted with new solar panels which provide clean solar energy to power all on-board electrical equipment. This reduces the requirement to create electric energy via the burning of diesel, a move that is estimated to save up to 7,500 litres of fuel and over 20 tonnes of CO2.
Sam Greer, regional director for Stagecoach in Scotland, said: “There has never been a more important time to take action to address the climate emergency and play a part in helping Scotland deliver on its net zero ambitions.
“Our plans start with improving the sustainability of our own business. But we can also leverage the power of public transport focus on our plans to create a greener, smarter, safer, healthier and fairer Scotland.
“Making net zero a reality – and quickly – is about more than just switching technologies. We also need to change how we travel, moving people away from cars to walking, cycling and wheeling, and public transport.
“This needs strong and brave leadership from national and regional governments to create incentives to reward the right choices. We also need to make sure the country’s transport infrastructure is prioritised for people, such as bus passengers, whose are contributing to a cleaner and healthier country.”
This latest investment is part of the company’s ‘Driving Net Zero’ roadmap to becoming a carbon neutral business. It will see investment in new zero-emissions fleets and other green technologies. The coach operator is also working to reduce the impact of the company’s operations, as well as initiatives to cut waste, boost recycling and conserve water.
