Environment

Tram passing though grassy knoll We are reducing the impact of transport operations on the environment. We're doing this by better managing waste and resource use in our offices, support services and construction projects, as well as cutting carbon emissions.

We report back on our progress in meeting our environmental objectives in the TfL Environment Report and London Underground Environment Report.

On this page:

Air quality
Energy and climate change
Noise
Resource use and recycling
Wildlife and habitats
Good business practices

Air quality

Ground-based transport is a source of air pollutants (CO₂, nitrogen oxides and particulates), so we are adopting measures to reduce the emission of air pollutants.

Did you know?
Fitting particulate filters on bus exhausts resulted in a more than 90 per cent cut in fine particles and carbon monoxide emissions.  

Find out more about about how we are tackling air quality in:

Energy and climate change

Red Hybrid Bus We are helping to deliver the Mayor's commitment to a 60 per cent reduction of CO₂ emissions by 2025 (compared to 1990 levels) through promoting sustainable travel, operating vehicles more efficiently and using improved vehicle and fuel types.

We are helping to deliver the Mayor's commitment to 60 per cent CO₂ reductions by 2025.

We have a climate change mitigation programme to reduce CO₂ emissions from our operations and to adapt our infrastructure and services to the changing climate.

Our Climate Change Fund, worth £25m over three years, supports a range of internal projects that deliver CO₂savings.

We are also working to adapt our services to the impacts of a changing climate, including flood management plans, the tunnel cooling programme and changing bus specifications.

Did you know? 
We are investing in diesel-electric hybrid buses that deliver around 40 per cent CO2 savings, less air emissions and are quieter.

Find out more about how we are tackling energy and climate change in:

Noise

Bus and bird One of our environmental objectives is to manage transport-related noise. We do this by improving our infrastructure, eg, using quieter road surfaces, quieter vehicles and installing continuously welded track on the Underground.

Resource use and recycling

We must use resources efficiently and manage waste according to the principles of 'reduce, reuse, recycle'.

We monitor and aim to reduce the waste produced from our operations, construction and the public transport modes, along with increasing the proportion recycled.

We are committed to purchasing goods and services that have lower negative impacts and deliver environmental and social benefits where possible.

We manage waste according to the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle

There are around 270 newspaper recycling bins outside of LU stations that are managed by London boroughs.

We plan to trial newspaper recycling bins inside of certain stations in 2008.

Did you know? 
We work with contractors to recycle newspapers at stations. More than 40 per cent of station and depot waste (mainly newspapers) was recycled in 2007/08.

You can find out more about the Green procurement code and Responsible procurement policy in Selling to TfL.

Wildlife and habitats

Bee box beside trainline With responsibility for managing significant areas of land, including wildlife habitats, we understand that our activities can affect London's natural environment.

We are working to protect and enhance the biodiversity of our track and highway verges, including street trees.

Although the Tube is often associated with underground tunnels, more than half of the transport network is above ground.

London Underground manages 10 per cent of the Capital's wildlife habitat.

The 4,000 hectares of land surrounding the Tube's rail tracks acts as a safe haven for a huge variety of wildlife, including bats, badgers, reptiles and water voles.

Did you know?
Around 550 plant species, 42 bird species, 14 mammals, 538 invertebrate species, three reptile  species and three amphibian species have been recorded on LU's land.

As well as protecting wildlife habitats and heritage areas, we aim to improve the urban realm and built environment.

Read more in the LU Biodiversity Action Plan.

Good business practices

Recycling paper Evaluation of environmental impacts is a key element of all our project development, eg, all our works dealing with constuction, large-scale maintenance and upgrades.

We take this consistent approach in all our business operations. We are supporting our staff to reduce environmental impacts through a series of campaigns.

Our Head Office Environmental Champions project involves a growing network of staff who motivate their colleagues to deliver changes through improved energy efficiency and waste minimisation.

Saving energy through changing one small thing each day achieved a nine per cent saving in electricity

In the past year we have run two campaigns, Energy Pledge, to improve energy efficiency, and Papersmart, to increase resource use and recycling.

More than 20 per cent of staff signed up for Energy Pledge, resulting in a nine per cent saving in electricity use compared with the same period the previous year.

Freight

Environmental management and sustainability for the freight industry operating within London is the focus of the London Freight Plan.

We actively promote good practice within the industry through a number of initiatives aimed at our internal and external partnerships.

The Freight Operators Recognition Scheme informs and incentivises freight operators to become safer, smarter and more efficient.

Formulation of delivery and servicing plans are encouraged for developers and businesses, and construction logistics plans are a means of raising awareness of how freight traffic impacts of major development projects.

Did you know?
In 2006/07, 20 per cent of electricity consumed across TfL came from renewable sources purchased through green tariff contracts.  

Find out more about how we are promoting good business practices in: