Network Rail has secured commitments from 50% of its suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint.

This was an important milestone in Network Rail‘s strategy to tackle climate change. It was achieved when Network Rail’s Commercial and Procurement (C&P) team reached an agreement with half of its suppliers that they would join the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and in doing so reduce their carbon footprint as their contribution to tackling climate change.

Science Based Targets are a key part of Network Rail’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy. They aim to deliver a cleaner, greener railway through independently-verified plans to reduce carbon emissions.

By doing that, Network Rail will play its part in helping to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Network Rail was the first railway infrastructure body in the world to adopt science-based targets to achieve this level.

Around 97% of Network Rail’s emissions are within ‘scope three’, with most emissions coming from third parties including suppliers. The company’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy has a target for 75% of its suppliers to have set their own science-based targets by 2025.

Throughout 2021, the C&P supplier management team worked alongside transport industry partners to deliver workshops that showed suppliers how to commit to science-based targets. By doing so, they should achieve the benefits to be gained by sharing industry best practice and ideas for cutting carbon. So far, three workshops have been delivered, with each one attended by over 350 people from the transport sector and supply chain.

For Roger Maybury, supplier management director, the workshops have been positive in bringing transport partners together to tackle climate change. He said: “We’ve had a wonderful response and we’re extremely grateful to our suppliers for showing such positive support for this initiative.

“The success of the science-based targets workshops is reflected in the growing number of suppliers committing to reduce carbon emissions. We have more to do to achieve our goal but we’ve made a strong start with 50% of suppliers already committed to science-based targets by carbon emissions.”

Clive Berrington, group commercial and procurement director, added: “As a country, we need to show we are serious about climate change by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels to leave a positive legacy for future generations.

“Rail is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel but we need our suppliers’ help to become an industry powered by renewable energy. It’s great that our supply chain is rising to this challenge and we look forward to more companies signing up in future.”

Details of previous science-based targets workshops can be seen on the Network Rail’s website at www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-commercial/supply-chain/working-with-us.

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