East West Rail confirms carbon commitments for supply chain as part of net zero ambitions
- EWR Co sets targets to increase the use of low-carbon concrete and steel, and phase out fossil fuel use on construction sites
- Company approach is aligned with the Construction Leadership Council’s Five Client Carbon Commitments and will help the construction industry achieve net zero
- Pledges are part of ambition to operate a net zero carbon railway by 2050
East West Railway Company has announced its carbon commitments as part of its plan to deliver a net zero operational railway by 2050.
EWR Co has signed up to the Construction Leadership Council’s Five Client Carbon Commitments*, which are 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.
EWR Co is focusing on reducing carbon during both the design and construction stages, as well as across the whole life of the railway that will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. 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, EWR Co is confirming it 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.
Proposals include using discontinuous electrification on the railway 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. Embedding carbon reduction into early design decisions will make the biggest impact.
Tristan Lincoln-Gordon, Head of Environment at EWR Co, said: “The CLC’s Five Client Carbon Commitments give us a real opportunity to further accelerate low carbon delivery across East West Rail - whether that’s phasing out fossil fuels on our sites or eliminating the most carbon intensive materials from our design and construction.
“By adopting the CLC’s 5Cs, we are sending a strong signal to our partners and the wider industry that low carbon delivery is not optional - it is integral to how we build, invest, and innovate from this point forward.
"We want to encourage our supply chain and industry peers to innovate, collaborate and help us to deliver meaningful and lasting reductions in emissions over the lifetime of the railway.”
EWR Co’s targets are designed to be ambitious yet achievable and will be reviewed regularly to keep pace with industry innovation and rising standards.
More information about EWR Co’s environmental commitments will be available during the project’s next consultation this spring.
Ends
Notes to Editors
*The Five Client Carbon Commitments are:
1. Procure for low carbon construction and provide incentives in our contracts
Low carbon included in criteria to award contacts and incentivised to help ensure out supply chain are chosen and rewarded for reducing carbon.
EWR Co aims to achieve this by 2026.
2. Set phase out dates for fossil fuel use
Sets the dates by which our construction sites will stop using diesel and other fossil fuels.
EWR Co aims to achieve this by 2027 (grade D); by 2030 (grade C); by 2032 (grade B), by 2034 (grade A).
3. Eliminate the most carbon intensive concrete products
Commits to switching to lower-carbon forms of concrete by specific dates on a sliding scale
EWR Co aims to achieve this by 2027 (grade D concrete), by 2031 (grade C).
4. Eliminate the most carbon intensive steel products
Commits to phasing out high carbon steel and using greener steel carbon products by specific dates on a sliding scale.
EWR Co aims to achieve this by 2027 (grade F steel); by 2029 (grade E); by 2032 (grade D).
5. Adopt PAS 2080, Carbon Management in Infrastructure, as a common standard
Sets a date by which we will achieve independent verification of our carbon management system to the PAS 2080 standard.
EWR Co aims to achieve this by 2026.
Further information about each Commitment is available here (pages 6-10):
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About the East West Rail Project
The East West Rail Project is a once in a generation opportunity to connect people and businesses between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge through a new direct rail line. It is a railway with community at its heart that will open up new journeys, cut travel times, and ease congestion on local roads. The route will connect people to the things and places that matter, bringing local benefit and sustainable growth by unlocking the social and economic potential of the area.
The East West Rail Project will be delivered in different phases. Network Rail was responsible for developing the first part of the first phase between Oxford and Milton Keynes, connecting Oxford with Bicester before the East West Rail Company (EWR co) was set up. Between 2018 and 2024, EWR Co and Network Rail partnered in a construction alliance, East West Rail Alliance, to complete the infrastructure to Bletchley. Chiltern Railways has taken over as the operator of this section and are working to start passenger services as soon as possible.
To deliver the railway onwards from Bletchley to Bedford and Cambridge, a new railway needs to be constructed between Bedford and Cambridge and associated works are needed between Oxford and Bedford to upgrade and refurbish the existing railway infrastructure. EWR Co proposes to make an application to the Secretary of State for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to permit the construction and operation of these works.
About the East West Railway Company
The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is a non-departmental public body with limited company status set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2017 to deliver the East West Rail (EWR) Project.
The corridor, which runs from Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge, is an economic artery that makes the UK a global leader in life sciences, technology and innovation, with the potential to create jobs, drive growth and attract investment for the entire country. EWR Co’s ambition is to unlock the full potential of this region that is vital to keeping the UK globally competitive in a way that considers the environment and offers value for taxpayers.