Stagecoach Group

Stagecoach Group is leading the way in delivering greener, smarter bus and rail services in the UK and North America and sustainability is at the heart of our business. We employ 30,000 people and run around 13,000 buses and trains. Helping people lead greener lifestyles and being a more sustainable community partner is central to our business.

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing our world. The personal lifestyle choices we make every day affect the planet we will leave to future generations. Our customers and
other stakeholders tell us the environment is a key issue for them – and they want us to help them reduce their carbon footprint.

Freedom to travel is important to us all – from keeping the economy moving to making the most of our busy daily lives by helping us access healthcare, education, employment, shopping and leisure facilities. But detailed studies such as the Eddington and Stern reviews have shown we cannot continue as we are. We need a revolution in the way we travel.

Sustainability strategy

Stagecoach Group launched a new sustainability strategy in April 2010 with a plan to reduce further the carbon emissions from its transport operations in the UK and North America. It is focused on:

• meeting and exceeding regulatory obligations;
• investing in more fuel efficient vehicles;
• using alternative, renewable fuels;
• training employees in more efficient driving techniques;
• saving energy at offices and depots;
• conserving and recycling water;
• reducing and recycling waste;
• reducing business travel;
• providing affordable bus and rail travel.

Our plans

We are backing up the new strategy, Revolution in the Way We Travel, with an £11million investment programme and a range of targets for its bus and rail businesses. Planned initiatives, some of which follow trials carried out in Scotland, include:

• introduction of eco-driving techniques across 14,000 bus drivers in the UK, including Scotland;
• partnership project with Network Rail and rolling stock providers to reduce the use of electrical current for traction through the introduction of regenerative braking on many of our trains;
• driver training measures and the introduction of energy wardens;
• fleet training and awareness programme for drivers, managers and staff in our tram operations
  focus on reducing bus idling at bus and coach operations in the United States;
• roll-out of to the Group's Canadian bus operations of a fuel additive, which is already in use across Stagecoach’s bus fleet in the UK, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions;
• continuing to source a significant proportion of our electricity requirement from renewables, including electricity generated from small-scale hydro, on-shore wind and biomass;
• investment across the Group on lighting and domestic hot water improvements, performance analysis, and reduction of heat loss through depot doors;
• new procurement policies and buildings manuals;
• communication plans to raise awareness and encourage greener workplace practices.

Our targets

Stagecoach Group is targeting an overall reduction of 8% in buildings CO₂e emissions and a cut of 3% in annual fleet transport CO₂e emissions. It follows a reduction in the carbon intensity of its UK businesses of 5.7% in the three years to 30 April 2009. It is estimated the new five-year programme, from 2009-10 to 2013-14, will save a total of nearly 150,000 tonnes of CO₂e, with the Group’s annual emissions reduced by around 40,000 tonnes CO₂e by April 2014.

Detailed information on our sustainability strategy, video case studies, our targets and updates on our performance can be accessed here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/csr/environment/

Our commitment in action

15/4/2010 - Stagecoach Group launches new sustainability strategy

Stagecoach Group has launched a new sustainability strategy with a plan to reduce further the carbon emissions from its transport operations in the UK and North America.

The transport group is backing up the new strategy, Revolution in the Way We Travel, with an £11million investment programme and a range of targets for its bus and rail businesses.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2010/2010-04-15/

01/01/10 - Stagecoach Group awarded Carbon Trust Standard

Stagecoach Group has been awarded the prestigious Carbon Trust Standard after taking action on climate change by measuring and reducing its carbon emissions. The Group reduced the carbon intensity of its UK businesses by 5.7% in the three years to 30 April 2009 as a result of a package of measures designed to make its business more sustainable. Stagecoach is the first Scottish-based transport group - and one of only two listed UK public transport operators - to have achieved the stretching carbon reduction benchmark. It covers all of the Group’s bus and rail operations in the UK.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2010/2010-03-01/

26/01/10 - Fuel additive cuts Stagecoach UK bus CO₂ emissions by 100,000 tonnes in five years

Stagecoach Group has reduced its CO₂ emissions from its bus fleet in the UK by more than 100,000 tonnes over the past five years through use of a hi-tech fuel additive. The saving equates to the average CO₂ emissions produced by more than 10,000 households in the UK over a 12-month period, according to official Government statistics. Stagecoach announced the results as it confirmed it had signed a new three-year supply agreement for the Envirox™ fuel additive, which was developed using sophisticated nanotechnology.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2010/2010-01-26/

29/12/09 - Stagecoach cuts heating energy emissions by 35%

Stagecoach Group has cut its annual heating energy consumption at its UK Bus division by more than a third in the past three years following the introduction of a hi-tech energy management system. The system, which is now in place at 108 Stagecoach sites in Scotland, England and Wales, has reduced consumption of gas used for heating by around 35%. It is one element of a Group-wide carbon management programme aimed at cutting Stagecoach’s carbon footprint and making its businesses even more sustainable.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2009/2009-12-29/

03/12/09 - Stagecoach to invest £11m in new greener hybrid buses

Stagecoach is to invest around £11million in a fleet of state-of-the-art greener hybrid buses with 30% less carbon emissions than standard vehicles. A fleet of 56 double-decker hybrid vehicles will be manufactured and go into service in the company's major city operations in Manchester and Oxford. Some 30 of the new hybrid vehicles will be introduced on services covering Manchester's major university and hospital areas, while 26 buses will run on some of Oxford's busiest city centre routes. The investment, which will assist efforts to improve city centre air quality, follows Stagecoach success in bidding for support funding from the Department for Transport's £30million Green Bus Fund.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2009/2009-12-03/

02/12/09 - megabus.com joins US Green Coach Certification Programme

Stagecoach Group’s market-leading budget service megabus.com has signed up to a new US Green Coach Certification Programme as part of the company’s drive to encourage people to switch to greener smarter travel options. megabus.com, which offers daily, express coach travel for as low as £1 in the UK and from $1 in North America, is taking part in the pilot initiative launched by the University of Vermont. Under the ground-breaking scheme, participating companies’ qualifying vehicles are badged with “Green Coach Certified” eco-labels to highlight their environmental performance, similar to the existing system for electrical appliances.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2009/2009-12-02/

25/11/09 - Stagecoach wins Scottish environmental award

Stagecoach has won a major environmental award for its innovative Bio-bus project. The groundbreaking Stagecoach West Scotland initiative – which involves running buses on recycled cooking oil – won the award for Best Process at the VIBES (Vision in Business for the Environment) of Scotland Awards in Edinburgh. The Best Process award recognises the development and application of a new production technology that has made an outstanding contribution to sustainable development.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2009/2009-11-25/

02/10/09 - Double success for Stagecoach at Scottish Green Awards

Stagecoach Group was the big winner at the inaugural Scottish Green Awards after picking up two top honours. The Perth-based transport group further cemented its position as a greener, smarter organisation by being named Best Green Travel Provider at the event. The company was also awarded the Best Green PR Campaign honour for its innovative Bio-bus initiative.

Full story here: http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2009/2009-10-02/