Arriva, one of Europe’s leading passenger transport providers, has announced almost all its UK bus and rail sites will be powered by 100% renewable electricity* after entering a three-year electricity supply contract with SSE Business Energy in the UK.
The new contract will allow Arriva to report zero carbon emission electricity, preventing an estimated 27,000 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere each year. The volume of carbon saved is the equivalent to powering almost 25,000 homes with green electricity, or taking almost 95 million miles driven by an average car off the road.
SSE Business Energy will supply most sites operated by the Group’s UK businesses – including UK Bus, Arriva Rail North and Chiltern Railways – with electricity fully backed by Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origins (REGOs)* and independently verified by Carbon Clear, a CDP Accredited Provider.
This makes Arriva the first major private transport operator in the UK to switch to a 100% renewable electricity supply, and marks a major milestone in its journey towards ‘Destination Green’ – a Europe-wide environmental sustainability programme aimed at reducing the Group’s environmental impacts.
As part of the contract, Arriva’s UK rail and bus sites will also have access to SSE’s online energy monitoring portal, Clarity, enabling them to monitor energy consumption and implement effective energy-saving practices.
Andrew Clark, Head of Environmental Sustainability, Arriva Group, said: “The signing of this contract marks an exciting step forward in our journey towards ‘Destination Green’ as we strive to reduce our environmental impacts.
“SSE has backed the electricity supply for our UK sites with generation from 100% renewable sources, supported by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates*.
“As well as the actions we’re taking to reduce the environmental impact of our vehicle fleets, the new contract helps us achieve our goals relating to our wider business impacts. It’s a clear example of our commitment to decarbonising the transport sector and helping the UK meet its sustainability targets.”
Amber McEwen, Head of Marketing, SSE Business Energy said: “There is an increasing demand in the market for organisations to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious. SSE has the broadest portfolio of renewable energy generating assets in the UK and Ireland, and we’re delighted to be able to use these assets to offer SSE Green.
“This contract makes Arriva the first major transport owning Group to switch to 100% renewable electricity supply in the UK and we hope their switch to SSE Green encourages other transport organisations to follow suit and invest in renewable energy.”
To learn more about SSE Green please visit ssebusinessenergy.co.uk