KiwiRail has welcomed the Zero Carbon Bill announcement, and is ready to play its part in reducing New Zealand‘s greenhouse gas emissions.

“As a company we are committed to helping New Zealand move to a low-emissions future and meet the reduction targets,” says group chief executive Greg Miller.

“We are well-placed to do this, and we have already made strong progress in reducing our own emissions.”

Miller says between the 2017 and 2018 financial years KiwiRail reduced its emissions by 3 percent.

“Among the initiatives KiwiRail has introduced in recent years to cut emissions are the ground-breaking Driver Advisory System (DAS), energy saving innovations on the propellers of the Interislander ferry Aratere, and the introduction of electric vehicles into our vehicle fleet.

“We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint further, and already have a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.”

Miller says rail also has the ability to help other businesses reduce their emissions.

“Rail generates 66 percent fewer carbon emissions than heavy road freight per tonne of freight carried, takes more than a million trucks off the road each year, reduces congestion in our cities, results in fewer road injuries and fatalities and saves on road maintenance costs across the country.”

Last July KiwiRail signed the CEOs‘ Climate Change Statement, committing itself to measuring and reporting its greenhouse gas emissions and working with suppliers to reduce emissions.