News: Eurostar announce ambitious plans to slash emissions

Flights > News > # 1251 (17/04/2007)

Eurostar has unveiled plans to make high-speed rail an even greener option for short-haul travel in northern Europe by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% per passenger by 2012.
The company claims the CO2 impact of a Eurostar rail journey between London and Paris or Brussels is already at least ten times less than the equivalent journey by plane.
Eurostar aim to slash CO2 emissions further by reducing the power consumption on rolling stock, making better use of train capacity, and sourcing more electricity from lower emission generators.
Eurostar chief executive, Richard Brown, said: "People want to minimise their carbon footprint on the environment, and our aim is to help passengers tread lightly when they travel.
“It is time for the transport industry to do more to tackle climate change, instead of claiming that it makes a minimal contribution to global warming, or simply blaming other industry sectors.”
In addition to the CO2 reduction target, a ‘Tread Lightly Initiative’ includes a ten-point plan to minimise the environmental impact of Eurostar operations by cutting the consumption of raw materials, sourcing responsibly and recycling more waste.
Eurostar also claims it will become the world's first rail service to go ‘carbon neutral’ from November 14, when journey times to the Continent are cut by up to 25 minutes from its new St Pancras International terminus in central London.
The company admits it cannot totally eliminate CO2 emissions, but will invest in offsetting schemes to ensure that every traveller's journey is carbon neutral.
Brown added: “Unlike other transport operators, who ask passengers to volunteer to offset CO2 emissions at their own expense, we will bear the cost of making every journey carbon neutral – we will not charge a penny extra.”