First Bus has confirmed that its depots in York, Leicester and Norwich are now verified net zero-emission – among the first in the country to achieve this milestone.
The depots, which are home to fully electric commercial bus fleets, have all invested in the necessary additional carbon reduction requirements to claim net zero status.
Reaching this goal has meant going a step beyond eliminating fleet tailpipe emissions by accounting for other direct operational emissions associated with each site.
This includes the energy used to power depots and ancillary vehicles.
Net zero was achieved by reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by more than 90% compared to a baseline (FY20), and residual emissions (less than 10%) have been offset through supporting Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) carbon removals projects.
Carbon Footprint, an environmental consultancy, reviewed and verified the depots concerned.
At the three sites, First Bus has also replaced the depot gas heating systems with electric heating and removed the on-site diesel refuelling tank at York.
Other investments by the company have included installing solar PV panels on depot roofs, adopting energy efficiency measures in each building, as well as buying 100% renewable electricity.
This net zero blueprint will be used across the First Bus estate to achieve the wider business commitment of net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.
Isabel McAllister, Chief Sustainability and Compliance Officer for First Bus, said, “We take our net zero-emission strategy incredibly seriously and look forward to continuing the electrification of our fleets, whilst ensuring we keep delivering on our sustainability promises to the benefit of our people and our customers.”
