LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Transport group Go-Ahead
will withdraw diesel buses and further electrify its rail fleet
as part of efforts to become carbon neutral by 2045, the British
company said on Wednesday.
The environmental plans of big carbon emitters are coming
under increasing scrutiny from investors and climate change
activists concerned about such companies' ability to meet carbon
targets, with the UK government targeting net zero carbon
emissions in Britain by 2050.
Go-Ahead, which runs buses in London and several UK regions
as well as operating train services in southeast England, said
it will cut emissions by 75% by 2035 and to net zero by 2045.
The group said it will buy electric and hydrogen fuel cell
buses as it gradually replaces its fleet of 5,000 buses with
zero-emission vehicles by 2035 while also making all of its
trains electric by that date.
That will require a substantial investment on Go-Ahead's
part, with electric buses costing roughly twice as much as
diesel alternatives, though prices are expected to fall over
time. Go-Ahead will also need to invest in charging points at
bus depots.
Chief Executive David Brown said radical change is needed in
the push for net-zero emissions.
"We hope our commitment will be matched by a broader shift
in public policy on transport by encouraging people to walk or
cycle where possible, use buses and trains as an alternative but
only use a car if absolutely necessary," he said in a statement.
(Reporting by Sarah Young
Editing by David Goodman)