TfL unveils fresh plan to make the capital’s transport services more resilient, reliable and sustainable

Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled its updated Corporate Environment Plan, which aims to make the capital’s transport services more resilient, reliable and sustainable.

The plan sets out how TfL will take action to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, adapt to climate change, enhance biodiversity, and use resources more sustainably across one of the world’s largest integrated transport networks.

As one of London’s largest landowners and the city’s integrated transport authority, TfL has a unique role to play in tackling the challenges facing the capital, from the climate emergency to decarbonisation, which is why it has been taking bold and industry-leading action.

This includes TfL establishing one of the first private wire schemes for an urban transport network, which will see it receive zero-carbon electricity straight from new solar installations, and running the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Western Europe, which now has more than 3,000 buses, from just 30 electric buses in 2016. By enabling customers to choose more sustainable ways to travel, whether that’s by public transport, walking or cycling, or supporting drivers to switch to cleaner vehicles – with London having the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the UK, TfL is also making it easier for everyone to play their part.

The Corporate Environment Plan – first published in 2021, contains more than 70 actions, which cover how TfL will achieve both its strategic ambitions, such as embedding circular economy principles into procurement and project delivery, and tangible outcomes, such as converting more lighting across London Underground to LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting.

Key actions also include how TfL is adapting to climate change, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent, and protecting and enhancing green infrastructure, which can help provide shade and shelter alongside supporting biodiversity and increasing public health and wellbeing.

Lilli Matson, Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer at TfL, said:

“We know that our city needs to be more sustainable and climate-resilient to continue being a fantastic place to live, work and travel. The impact of the climate emergency is becoming increasingly apparent and we need to work together at pace to take the action that’s needed to adapt our city and network, mitigating any risks.

“Since first publishing our Corporate Environment plan five years ago, we’ve already implemented a variety of measures that have had a demonstrable impact, such as transitioning more than a third of our bus fleet to zero emission. We are committed to being transparent with our ambitions and achievements and this updated plan clarifies our next steps in making London and its transport services resilient and thriving for generations to come.”