Highlights
- 2.3 million customers per week.
- Committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42%, as well as significantly reducing energy consumption, water use and waste generation.
- Removed 12,000 tonnes of CO2, 50 tonnes of NOx and 280kg of particulate matter, from their operations.
- 89% of their fleet meet Euro 6 emission standard.
- Developed a Sustainability Assessment Platform to assess and verify their sustainability performance.
- Appointed a dedicated Accessibility and Inclusion Officer and developed a business- wide accessibility strategy.
Lothian Buses is Scotland’s transportation expert, connecting the region with over 70 services and over 700 buses which run day and night throughout the year, with over 2.3 million customer journeys per week in a normal year.
Since 2011, Lothian Buses have invested over 78 million pounds to reduce their emissions. During this period, more than 300 vehicles have been replaced by more efficient, lower emission vehicles, including ten fully electric buses, four of which are Scotland’s first fully electric double- decker buses.
In 2019, Edinburgh Bus Tour’s launched their summer season with a fleet of 30 state-of –the-art, Euro 6, open-top buses. The low-emission buses formed part of their Bus2020 Strategy, in which they committed to cutting their carbon footprint by 42% and with which they successfully removed over 12,000 tonnes of CO2, 50 tonnes of NOx and 280kg of particulate matter from their operations, playing an important role in improving Edinburgh’s air quality.
At the time of writing, 89% of Lothian Buses’ fleet meet the latest Euro 6 emission standard, which means that Lothian Buses will be fully prepared for the Low Emission Zone due to take effect in Edinburgh in 2022.
Building on their Bus2020 Strategy, Lothian Buses have developed a new, innovative and forward-thinking environmental strategy. This strategy includes an evaluative online ‘Sustainability Assessment’ platform, developed in collaboration with Green Tourism, consisting of over 100 relevant indicator questions, each one specific and relevant to Lothian Buses. The platform allows Lothian Buses and Green Tourism to assess and verify Lothian Buses’ sustainability performance, under three key pillars:
- Our Service (Fleet, Risk, Our City and Sustainable Procurement)
- Our Property (Energy & Carbon, Water, Waste, Chemicals)
- Our People (Communication, Community, Health & Well-being, Accessibility, Equality and Inclusivity)
Within each pillar there is a range of goals, each broken down into manageable and accountable areas.
In 2020 Lothian Buses appointed a dedicated Accessibility and Inclusion Officer and developed a business-wide accessibility strategy. This strategy develops partnerships with a range of local networks and charities, giving the company access to a host of specialist advice and knowledge.
In addition, Lothian Buses appoint a Charity of Choice to closely partner with over each two-year period. The Charity of Choice is determined by staff votes, from a selection of shortlisted charities. Currently, it is Support in Mind Scotland, which specialise in helping people with mental health issues.