Stagecoach achieves one of highest ratings for UK public transport sector from the Carbon Disclosure Project

Stagecoach has received one of the highest ratings in the UK public transport sector in the latest benchmark assessment of company performance on addressing climate change.

Stagecoach achieved a “B” rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which is significantly above the average for the road transport sector, which was classed as “D”. It was also above the global average of “B-“.

CDP is an independent not-for-profit charity running the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.

A “B” score is given by CDP to those organisations who are taking co-ordinated action on climate issues. The disclosure of information to CDP also resulted in Stagecoach receiving an “A” rating for emissions reductions initiatives, an “A” for governance and an “A-“ for targets.

Stagecoach, the country’s biggest bus and coach operator published its new sustainability strategy this year, Driving Net Zero: Better Places to Live and Work. Within the strategy it has set out plans to decarbonise its business by around 70% by 2035 as well as targeting a zero emissions UK bus fleet by that date. It follows a 14% reduction in carbon emissions between 2014 and 2019.

Investment being made by Stagecoach as part of the new sustainability strategy, including in cleaner technologies, is planned to cut the company's annual emissions by 351,945 tCO2e by 2035, equivalent to the total annual pre-pandemic emissions produced by around 66,000 UK households³.

Sharon Vye-Parminter, Health, Safety and Environment Director for Stagecoach Group, said: “We’re delighted with the CDP’s ranking, which reflects our commitment to creating a greener, smarter, safer and healthier country. 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.”

The roadmap to becoming a net-zero business will see Stagecoach continuing with investment in new zero-emissions fleets, such as electric buses, and other green technologies over the next 15 years, with key environmental targets including:

• Purchasing only 100% renewable energy for Stagecoach buildings and fleet
• Aligning energy management systems with the international standard ISO50001 by 2027
• 95% of waste diverted from landfill by 2026 and 98% by 2031
• Reducing resource use by further digitalising systems
• Progressing a climate adaptation programme to risk assess and protect facilities

Stagecoach has also recently joined the United Nations-backed Race to Zero initiative with a commitment to set stretching science-based carbon reduction targets.

Stagecoach is continuing to make major investment in cleaner buses and is in the process of introducing 46 new fully electric buses in key transport networks across Scotland in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth as part of the Government’s Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme. During the summer, it launched six new electric buses serving rural communities across the west of Scotland in partnership with SP Energy Networks. Stagecoach has also made one of the biggest single investments in electric vehicles in Europe with its double-decker fleet in Manchester.

At the recent COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Stagecoach worked with Alexander Dennis and Transport for London to provide ten electric double-decker buses to transport the world’s leaders. Dignitaries including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UN Secretary General António Guterres and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi travelled on the fleet of buses.

ENDS