Product category:
Construction companies
News Release from: Tube Lines
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 June 2008
Tube Lines exceeds environmental
objectives
Tube Lines is marking World Environment Day by publishing its fourth annual environment and community report online.
It highlights how the company, which is rebuilding the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, exceeded its three environmental business objectives in 2007 and set new standards in measuring carbon footprints Last year Tube Lines met all of the challenging objectives it set itself, successfully reducing energy and paper use and increasing fuel efficiency
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 22 Nov 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Tube Lines milestone coincides with museum opening
Construction of eco-friendly Northern Line Control Centre completed.
Acton Town station enhanced refurbishment works
Tube Lines is refurbishing Acton Town station as part of its station upgrade programme for 2007-8.
Tube Lines played its part towards meeting government targets for the UK to reduce carbon emissions from energy and fuel use by 60% by 2050; in 2007 alone the company achieved a 20% reduction in energy use at its offices and at Piccadilly line depots.
Measures adopted to achieve this included adjusting air conditioning and lighting, restricting lifts and doors out of hours and getting employees to switch off their computers.
The company demonstrated the strength of its environmental commitment by going over and above standard practice in calculating its carbon footprint.
Further reading
Tube Lines and Alstom to improve Northern Line
Tube Lines has signed a deal with Northern line fleet maintainers Alstom to improve reliability of the trains on the country's busiest railway line.
Tube Lines groundbreaking track safety device
Permanent current rail indicator device (P-CRID) developed by Tube Lines improves rail safety and increases efficiency.
Tube Lines upgrades station ahead of schedule
Tube Lines has completed the upgrade of Woodside Park station four months ahead of schedule.
Tube Lines included embedded carbon as well as the corporate footprint most commonly calculated by organisations.
The work, described in the report, calculated the total carbon associated with every activity Tube Lines undertakes, from refurbishing an escalator and upgrading a station to maintaining and cleaning trains for the three lines.
As part of the study, Tube Lines identified a wide range of potential improvements, 22 of which are being implemented in 2008, to support the targeted reduction of 5,000 tonnes of CO2.
As well as understanding how Tube Lines can reduce its emissions, it has made significant progress in defining how it needs to adapt to the changing climate.
In 2007, Tube Lines developed a matrix that identifies the effect of the weather on its assets and practices.
This has identified over 200 potential threats and opportunities posed by climate change.
It uses a combination of weather records from 1990, data on its infrastructure and long-range climate predictions from the UK Climate Impacts Programme to extrapolate the effects of extreme weather to provide estimates of the likely costs of climate change.
This is enabling Tube Lines to identify and prioritise significant impacts and develop appropriate adaptation strategies in advance of the Climate Change Bill expected this summer.
Tube Lines has also made a positive contribution to local community life having paid out GBP16,500 from its community support fund to charities and local organisations supported by its employees.
A further GBP28,000 was donated to other charities and community groups, including Railway Children and the New London Orchestra.
Commenting on the progress made in 2007 Charlotte Simmonds, Tube Lines Environment Manager said: "Now that we have measured how much carbon dioxide we produce, we have a tangible benchmark to measure our progress against in the years ahead.
Our business objective to reduce our carbon footprint by 5,000 tonnes by the end of 2008 is just the beginning.
"Our recycling efforts, which funds the community support fund that supplements employee charity donations, recognises what a difference good environmental management can make.
We feel strongly about putting something back into the communities we serve and will continue to support and work with local communities and schools in 2008.".
• Tube Lines: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Buildingtalk email newsletter
• Buildingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
