Carbon Trust endorses Merseytravel energy cuts

Passenger transport executive, Merseytravel, has become the first in the country to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard by reducing energy use year on year.

Merseytravel's carbon footprint has dropped by 7% since 2006 through a series of measures. These include running Mersey Ferries at slower speeds, fitting new computerised energy control systems in Merseytravel offices and the installation of variable speed motors and drives for the giant ventilation fans at the Mersey Tunnels.

Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, said: "With 2009 being Liverpool's Year of the Environment there is no better time to have achieved this.

"It is great recognition for the work that we've done internally and something that we can be proud to tell our customers.

"This is something to celebrate and it is yet another 'first'. We were the first PTE to gain certification to an Environmental Management System; the first to develop an environment strategy and the first to launch an Environmental Committee, driven by our politicians in the Passenger Transport Authority."

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, said: "We congratulate Merseytravel in achieving the Carbon Trust Standard and challenge other organisations to follow their example and prove that they too are taking tangible steps to fight climate change."

Re-assessment for the standard will be carried out in 2010.