Kura, the UK’s largest shared transport specialist, has announced plans to reduce and offset carbon emissions on all its journeys during 2022, with the ambition to reduce its emissions to net-zero by 2030.
As part of Kura’s new climate pledge, the business will work with its hundreds of customers and suppliers across the corporate and education sectors to become net zero within a decade. The business will meet this aim across its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions profile, referring to both emissions created directly by Kura as a business, and those generated by its suppliers and across its wider operator network.
Transport is responsible for 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK according to a recent report from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), so Kura realizes the importance of reducing its emissions as well as offsetting them.
It will achieve this through providing shared transport to its customers via sourcing and supplying the newest, cleanest vehicles, tested to Euro VI standards, wherever possible across its 40,000 virtual UK fleet, resulting in significantly lower nitrogen oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.
The business will also utilise its leading edge software to ensure customer vehicle capacity is best utilised and routes are optimised to reduce emission-producing delays, dead mileage (where vehicles run empty) and excessively long journeys.
As well as taking actions to reduce its footprint through replacing cars on the road with greener shared transport, Kura has also partnered with climate and sustainable development expert ClimateCare, to offset the carbon emissions associated with providing shared transport solutions to schools and businesses. Unavoidable emissions will be offset through a portfolio of ClimateCare projects that both reduce CO2 and provide social benefits in developing countries.
Kura has already begun the process with 10 schools across 90 routes – aiming to reduce and offset the equivalent of 435 tonnes of CO2 per year and will continue to roll the programme out with other customers.
Godfrey Ryan, CEO of Kura, said: “We are on a path to net zero travel but given that electric buses are not yet widely available, our offsetting initiative is a step on the journey to take immediate action now. The initiative is as a result of overwhelming feedback from our education and corporate customers and we are delighted to work with experts in this sector, ClimateCare.”
James White, Senior Sustainability Executive for ClimateCare, explained: “We work with forward-thinking companies like Kura to turn their climate responsibilities into positive outcomes. In particular, we help organisations take a smart approach to addressing their environmental impacts by offsetting their carbon emissions through projects which also support sustainable development.”
