Latest Industry News: Edition 35

Stagecoach’s New Electric Bus Fleet Enables Greener Commutes  

With the aim of significantly reducing carbon emissions emitted from buses in London, Alexander Dennis, the leading British bus manufacturing company, is set to provide Stagecoach with 41 new next generation electric buses.  

This new fleet comprises 24 Enviro100EV small buses and 17 Enviro400EV double-decker vehicles for routes managed by Transport for London (TfL).   

This new zero-emissions bus fleet complies with the latest TfL Bus Safety Standard, ensuring that passengers and pedestrians are safe, whilst reducing environmental impact.  

Alexander Dennis was also the first company to pass independent safety tests for their new bus front design, improving visibility and ensuring that vulnerable road users are protected, highlighting their commitment to innovation and safety in public transport.  

These new vehicles will provide excellent efficiency and performance, with the 8.5m Enviro100EV seating 21 passengers achieving an energy efficiency of 0.54kWh/km and a warrantable energy throughput of up to 1.2 GWh.  

Meanwhile, the 10.5m Enviro400EV, holding up to 62 passengers, has an efficiency of 0.67 kWh/km and a throughput of up to 1.6 GWh.  

How Net Zero Acceleration Can Transform the UK Economy  

According to new research conducted by Oxera, the economics and finance consultancy company, the UK could unlock almost £765bn and accelerate decarbonisation in line with legally binding targets by enhancing its net zero policies before 2050.  

As outlined in the ‘Growth Zero: Reframing net zero as a driver of growth’ report, Oxera highlight the four levers that need to be implemented to reach net zero within the UK and in the EU.  

The report underscores effective ways to achieve an economic pathway to net zero, through the levers of Growth Zero, including regulation, private sector innovation, carbon pricing and fiscal policy.   

The Regulation Lever, focused on fast phase-out, places strict penalties on high-emission sectors and brings forward phase-out dates.   

The Private Sector Innovation Lever, aimed at jumpstarting green tech, accelerates the transition through large-scale deployment of new, green technology-based production capacities.   

The Carbon Pricing Lever, known as carbon costs, increases carbon prices by around 30% on average year-on-year in the 2020s, by 8.6% in the 2030s, and by 4–6% in the 2040s.   

The Fiscal Policy Lever, where governments incentivise, supercharges subsidies for established low carbon technologies while increasing taxes on carbon-intensive industries.  

BrewDog’s Shift in Sustainability Strategy  

UK-based brewery BrewDog has revealed its intention to relinquish its carbon-negative status and withdraw from the carbon credits market.   

This decision is driven by the increasing offset prices and the poor quality of credits, which BrewDog’s latest sustainability report describes as making the approach ‘unsustainable’.  

The multinational Scottish brewery and pub chain has decided to focus its efforts on more impactful measures. The company believes funds will be more effectively utilised elsewhere, such as by focusing on direct emissions reductions and its Lost Forest initiative.  

The Lost Forest scheme is BrewDog’s sustainability project aimed at offsetting carbon emissions by reducing and restoring natural forests.  

BrewDog planted 438,958 trees in 2023, in collaboration with Scottish Woodlands, with an aim to capture carbon and develop a vibrant biodiverse woodland ecosystem.  

2024 Report to Parliament: Crucial Policy Insights from the Climate Change Committee  

The Climate Change Committee’s 2024 annual net zero report to Parliament outlines 13 key green policy recommendations for the UK.  

The report highlights the need for immediate action to meet emissions targets and maximise benefits from the low-carbon transition.  

The recommendations include adaptation and resilience, climate and nature, energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, just transition, net-zero strategy, policy, renewables, skills and training, social sustainability, strategy and delivery, and tech and innovation in transport.   

Keir Starmer, the new British Prime Minister and head of the Labour Party, received this report on the 18th of July 2024 and has been urged to act quickly and implement these crucial guidelines.   

This is essential as acting swiftly on these recommendations will be critical for the UK to effectively reduce emissions, meet its climate objectives, and ensure a sustainable transition into a green economy.  

Mercedes F1 Team Leads the Race to Reduced Emissions with Biofuel Power  

By switching to biofuel to power their operations, the Mercedes Formula One (F1) racing team has reduced their emissions by 67%.  

Biofuel refers to the fuel derived from biomass, including plant, algae material, or animal waste, and is a reliable source of renewable energy.  

According to its sustainability report, the F1 team has reduced emissions by 10% overall in 2023, compared to the previous year.   

Specifically, the team cut CO2e emissions from business travel by 6,695 tons and achieved a 67% reduction in emissions by using HVO100 (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel.   

Additionally, they have ensured 100% renewable electricity by acquiring Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs).  

Alternative measures to decrease emissions and reduce the company’s carbon footprint include encouraging employees to car share to and from their Brackley Campus in West Northamptonshire, with a total of 5,650 shared rides over the past year.  

Rolls-Royce SMR Design Awaits Approval  

The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), a subscription-based trade association for the civil nuclear industry in the UK, has officially submitted an application for the approval of a new type of nuclear reactor designed by Rolls-Royce.  

This is the first time such a reactor design has been submitted for this kind of justification in the UK.   

The application claims that the benefits of the reactor’s power generation are greater than any potential risks, which are controlled by safety measures within the design.   

The British Multinational aerospace company have designed the Rolls-Royce SMR (small modular reactor) as a way of generating clean affordable energy for all.  

The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe reactor designed for consistent power generation for at least 60 years. About 90% of its construction will occur in factories, minimising on-site work to assembling premade modules, which lowers project risk and shortens build times.

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