South Western Railway (SWR) officially launched its new sustainability strategy, entitled ‘Journey to a Better Future’ in September this year, which ambitiously establishes the programme for serving, safeguarding, and strengthening its people, places, and the planet.
The announcement of this ground-breaking commitment to become completely net zero by 2040 positions the operator ten years ahead of the UK’s overall legal deadline, continuing to progress the narrative that rail travel is and will be the greenest and most sustainable form of public transportation.
Whilst the UK is struggling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and struggling economy, it has been revealed, in a recently conducted YouGov poll commissioned by SWR, that the public is more likely to think policies for tackling climate change should be prioritised over policies to achieve high economic growth. This staggering finding is shown through 49% of the public believing policies tackling climate change should be prioritised, even if economic growth is slower, opposed to the 34% whom want to see growth prioritised.
According to the polling response, younger people aged between 18-24 are more likely to prioritise policies for tackling climate change over economic growth, shown through the 58% result as opposed to 18% in the other direction.
The UK’s rail sector is integral to the creation of a sustainable future and securing the economic stability of the nation through breaking down the barriers to new opportunities for both workers and companies.
SWR’s strategy includes firm commitments to ensuring the operator is net biodiversity positive at all its stations and depots by 2030, securing top accreditation under the Government’s Inclusive Transport Leaders Scheme, and publishing and actioning a diversity, equality, and inclusion strategy roadmap.
These commitments are backed by other findings in the polling commissioned:
- An overwhelming 75% of the public believes large corporations should be doing more to support their most vulnerable customers, with only 10% believing they are doing everything they reasonably can.
- A majority (56%) of the public believes that a diverse workforce is important for improving customer service. This rises to 63% for both women and those aged 18 to 24.
Claire Mann, Managing Director of South Western Railway, commented:
“As one of the UK’s largest train operating companies, we connect the people and places that matter, but we also know our customers care about more than just their journey.
“This polling shows that, even during times of economic hardship, people want to us to prioritise doing things in a more sustainable way.
“Our bold sustainability strategy is designed to deliver just that, setting out a series of pledges to have a positive impact on our people, places, and ultimately our whole planet.
“This is just the start of our journey to a better future, and I look forward to bringing it to life with all our customers, colleagues, and the communities we’re so proud to serve.”
SWR’s Journey to a Better Future can be read in full here.
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