A low-emission railway Home Sustainability A low-emission railway We'll cut our carbon so that the railway will be net-zero emissions by 2045 in Scotland and by 2050 in the rest of Britain. It’s crucial that we do everything we can as a business to improve air quality, minimise our use of fossil fuels, and transition to an industry powered by green, renewable, low-carbon energy to play our part in tackling the global climate crisis. That’s why we’re proud to be the first railway organisation in the world to set ambitious science-based targets to cut carbon emissions and help limit global warming to 1.5°C. And we’re working with suppliers so that, by 2025, 75% of our suppliers, when measured by their emissions, have science-based targets too. How are we going to reduce our emissions? 2020 - 2029 2030 - 2050 Air quality Reducing our carbon emissions is just one part of achieving a clean railway – the air quality at our stations, our offices and lineside worksites is also very important to us. We want cleaner air for the safety of our staff, railway users, neighbours, and the environment from harmful pollutants. Air emissions from activities like using diesel engines can have a huge impact on air quality, especially in local urban areas, and can significantly affect people’s health. That’s why we’ve committed in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy to managing air quality across our own operations and collaborating across the industry to improve air quality through necessary behavioural and technology changes, working with operators, and with our supply chains. Downloads Our ambition for a low-emission railway 8 MB Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy documents Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy – Interim Programme Business Case 6 MB Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy – Executive Summary 657 KB Related pages Sustainability Next stop: A greener future Rail is already the greenest form of public transport and we’re on a journey to a cleaner, greener future. Caring for our planet is important to our passengers, and it's... Biodiversity on Britain’s railway As one of Britain’s biggest landowners, we are responsible for looking after plants and wildlife on the railway. Biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals we see in different habitats. Britain’s railway provides a... Climate change We prepare for the weather's impact on our network by forecasting it daily and understanding the projected effects of climate change. Weather: the challenges we face More frequent and more extreme weather conditions caused by... Reducing waste We must reduce, re-use and recycle the materials we use to avoid waste. We have a huge opportunity to contribute to a more circular economy, where we extract fewer resources from the planet, keep materials... Together we can end domestic abuse Follow us on: Home Who we are Staying safe and secure Media Contact us Copyright © 2021 Network Rail Privacy notice Cookies Terms & conditions Accessibility Modern Slavery Statement Site Map Feed