Colin Ward
Head of Environmental, Health & Safety, Dublin Bus
Few places in Europe are as committed to sustainability as Dublin and one transport company is leading the way in helping the city to reduce its carbon footprint.
A sustainable and integrated urban transport system that delivers a low-cost, frequent and zero emission service is an ambition for most cities, and Dublin is ahead of the curve.
This is thanks in no small part to the proactive approach of public transport provider Dublin Bus which is playing a major role in making the Irish capital one of Europe’s most sustainable cities.
The company’s Head of Environmental, Health and Safety, Colin Ward, says its success in Dublin demonstrates the vital role public transport can play in helping all cities reduce their carbon footprint.
Its ‘Driving Change: Our Journey to Zero’ strategy sets out a commitment to become a zero emissions operator by 2050. Its future plans are aligned with the nine UN Sustainable Development Goals, while it has also signed up to Business in the Community’s Low Carbon Pledge.
Cutting congestion
The company carries around 142 million people annually (pre COVID) and a full bus means a 92% drop in carbon emissions for every kilometre travelled compared to the passengers using their own cars.
Before the pandemic the operator was taking 160,000 cars of the road every day.
“We plan to continue to deliver solutions that meet the city’s and our customer’s needs. We also must fulfil our dual mandate of both embedding sustainability into everything we do and seeking new and better ways to enable and encourage sustainable behaviour for our customers.
“If the service is good then people will not use their own cars and the number of cars on our roads will continue to fall. We are moving to a net zero transport fleet and working with Government and our transport partners to create a reliable, integrated transport system,” says Ward.
Since 2017, Dublin Bus has reduced emissions by 13,500 tonnes and reduced its consumption of diesel by more than 2.5 million litres a year thanks to improved fuel efficiency and energy management measures.
We plan to continue to deliver solutions that meet the city’s and our customer’s needs. We also must fulfil our dual mandate of both embedding sustainability into everything we do and seeking new and better ways to enable and encourage sustainable behaviour for our customers.
Wider sustainability considerations
“However, we are aware that sustainability goes much further than this,” says Ward. “Being a sustainable business also extends to our supply chain as well as the wellbeing of our employees.”
Ultimately the aim is to improve Dubliners’ lives by making it easier and more environmentally friendly for them to move around the city.
“As a bus company we are in a prime position to offer a cleaner environment by reducing local emissions, improving air quality and cutting congestion.”