We are pleased to announce that we’ve confirmed our carbon commitments as part of our plan to deliver a net zero operational railway by 2050.
From the outset of our plans to build a new railway connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, our goal has been to create infrastructure that is fit for the future and supports the UK’s transition to net zero.
This is why we have signed up to the Construction Leadership Council’s Five Client Carbon Commitments - simple, practical steps that organisations can take to show how they are reducing their carbon emissions and by when, to help the construction industry collaborate to achieve net zero.
We are focusing on reducing carbon during both the design and construction stages, as well as across the whole life of the railway. This means finding smarter, lower-carbon ways to design the railway – for example, by reducing material use, choosing lower-carbon materials, and improving construction methods.
By signing up to the CLC’s Five Client Carbon Commitments, we are confirming we will work with major clients to increase the use of low-carbon concrete and steel, phase out fossil fuel use on construction sites, integrate carbon reduction into procurement decisions, and adopt PAS 2080 - a carbon management standard for infrastructure projects which ensures that carbon is treated as a core design and delivery requirement, not an afterthought.
EWR Co’s carbon targets align with the Construction Leadership Council’s Five Client Carbon Commitments
Our proposals include discontinuous electrification to reduce operational emissions and designing all new stations and depots to be capable of net zero operational carbon from their first day of service. By embedding carbon reduction into early design decisions, we can make the biggest impact.
These commitments represent the minimum performance we expect. We encourage our partners and industry peers to go further — to innovate, collaborate and help us reduce carbon emissions as much as possible.
By embedding strong carbon management now, we can deliver meaningful and lasting reductions in emissions over the lifetime of the railway.
More information about our environmental commitments will be available when we hold our next consultation this spring.
*Our targets as part of the Five Client Carbon Commitments are:
1. To procure for low carbon construction and provide incentives in our contracts by 2026.
2. To stop using diesel and other fossil fuels on our construction sites by 2027 (grade D); by 2030 (grade C); by 2032 (grade B); by 2034 (grade A).
3. To eliminate the most carbon intensive concrete products and switch to lower-carbon forms of concrete by 2027 (grade D concrete); by 2031 (grade C).
4. To eliminate the most carbon intensive steel products and use greener steel products by 2027 (grade F steel); by 2029 (grade E); by 2032 (grade D).
5. To adopt PAS 2080, Carbon Management in Infrastructure, as a common standard by 2026.