Horizon explores: sustainability
Our mission to reduce emissions
RSSB’s Rail Carbon Tool can help your company cut emissions and costs.
Angela Cruickshanks Sustainable Rail Programme Lead, RSSB
Many businesses in Britain—and, increasingly, individuals—are under scrutiny for their carbon footprint. With the two warmest years on record falling within the past decade, there can be no denying that climate change is reshaping the world as we know it. Never has it been more important to understand the impacts of each decision we make on the environment.
Rail, by its very nature, is one of the cleanest forms of transport available. According to Network Rail data, emissions from rail contribute only 1.4% of the country’s transport totals. Despite this, the sector certainly isn’t immune from the UK government’s mission to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Rail’s commitment to decarbonise is well under way. GB Railfreight, for example, is dedicated to a net zero future and already has projects in place to support this goal. The rail freight company is adding more bi-mode, modular Class 99s—which can run on electrified lines—to its fleet. It’s also moving to all-electric road vehicles and starting to think about eradicating single-use plastics in its business operations.
Likewise, South Western Railway is expanding the use of electric rail vehicles, opting for sustainable fuel sources over gas, and retrofitting some of its buildings with lower-carbon alternatives. And plenty of other train and freight operating companies are embarking on similar decarbonisation journeys.
Keen to support industry on this journey, RSSB developed the Rail Carbon Tool so that rail organisations can forecast their carbon emissions for different activities. The advantages of this extend beyond the company’s carbon footprint, as the tool can deliver multiple benefits across the operational landscape.
If you measure your carbon, you can ultimately reduce it, and by reducing your carbon, you will reduce costs. This can help you save materials, reduce energy demand, and deliver operational efficiency.
This online resource allows users to analyse the carbon emissions associated with UK rail activities, assess lower-carbon alternatives for planned work, and move forward with those options if desired. Ultimately, it supports rail organisations in identifying solutions with the lowest carbon footprint, the highest level of effectiveness, and the lightest amount of administration.
The Rail Carbon Tool is also powerful in its ability to support projects at various levels of completion. For example, users can forecast emissions pre-project, monitor them during the activity, and look back at the actuals post-project completion to inform future planning. This capability is likely to prove key for ongoing education in this area.
Like so many things, rail functions at its best when its organisations are unified and pushing towards the same goal. And to help our country achieve net zero emissions by 2050, it’ll be key for the industry to proactively monitor and reduce its carbon footprint. The Rail Carbon Tool can assist with this, and it’s available to all UK rail organisations free of charge. Why not give it a try?
To learn more about our Rail Carbon Tool, visit our website.
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