Environment and Energy Policy

ScotRail operates passenger train services across the whole of Scotland. Alongside providing a reliable, sustainable and resilient train service we have a responsibility to mitigate and reduce our impacts on the environment.

ScotRail will manage these impacts by having certified environmental and energy management systems. These systems will in turn support ScotRail’s overall sustainability strategy and contribute to nationwide rail industry initiatives.

At ScotRail we are committed to continually improving our environmental and energy performance whilst minimising pollution and recognise our role in supporting the delivery of the Scottish Government’s emission reduction targets.

This will be achieved by:

  • Increasing the modal shift to rail from less sustainable forms of transport.
  • Increasing sustainable and active transport to and from stations by encouraging walking and cycling to stations.
  • Creating a lower carbon railway though electrification.
  • Measuring, monitoring and reducing our water and energy use including traction energy and setting challenging reduction targets.
  • Using the waste hierarchy to minimise waste production, increase recycling rates and reduce waste sent to landfill.
  • Promoting the importance of managing biodiversity and ecosystems to our staff and stakeholders.
  • Providing environmental and energy awareness training to all staff.
  • Recruiting and training environmental champions.
  • Actively engaging with our suppliers to ensure the sustainability of our supply chain economically, socially and environmentally.
  • Complying with and where practicable exceeding all our environment and energy obligations.
  • Ensuring regular external and internal communications of our progress against our targets and environmental performance as well as staff focussed environmental initiatives.
  • Investing in research into sustainable technologies and initiatives through our sustainability innovation fund.
  • Seeking continual improvement in our performance and reporting through our environmental and energy management systems.
  • Identifying areas of weakness and tackling them effectively.
  • Developing a climate change strategy to ensure that we meet our responsibility to protect our environment and deliver a resilient transport system that can adapt to an ever changing world.

The policy and actions will be reviewed annually or more frequently as required.

Download ScotRail's Environment and Energy Policy