Owner of the UK rail system Network Rail has become the first in the world to set new targets for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions that are in line with reducing global emissions to 1.5 degrees by 2050.

“Rail is already the cleanest and greenest mode of transporting large numbers of people and goods, but we’re committed to cutting our carbon footprint even further,” said Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines. “That’s why we’ve set carbon reduction targets backed by science rather than simply ones we think are easy to achieve. We are the first railway in the world to set targets that will help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and this shows our commitment to change.”

Network Rail already uses renewable energy to power its stations, depots and offices, and a trial to move its road fleet – such as the vans needed in rail maintenance work – to electric vehicles is now underway. In addition, the company is looking at how it can use its land to generate renewable electricity as well as support biodiversity.

“Most of our carbon emissions come from our supply chain, so we need to give our suppliers confidence that we are serious about this and must make the changes needed to meet these challenging targets,” said safety, technical and engineering director Martin Frobisher. “Many of our suppliers are already making great strides to this end which we can learn from. Working with them to find creative engineering solutions and clever ways to reduce the energy we consume, for example, is key to delivering these targets.”