Projects
In order to achieve the corporate emissions targets noted, we have identified a number of projects which will seek to reduce, limit or offset carbon emissions. These are outlined in Table 5. Following the commentary of the BAU section, we have not quantified the predicted carbon savings for each project due to yearly variation in our activities.
The required carbon savings identified in column 5 of Table 5 quantify the amount of Carbon that will need to be reduced from each emission source related to Scope 2 & 3 to meet our 15% reduction target. In practice, these figures will vary based on the project and will depend on various aspects such as emerging technology, policies, staff behaviour and levels of hybrid working, however they do provide an indicative target to be met. There are also a number of projects where potential savings need to be determined through further desk studies.
| Project Name | Overview | Emission Source | Estimated Timescales | Required Carbon Savings (tCO2e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TS Offsetting/Insetting Project | TS will establish a number of bespoke tree planting projects on its estate, with sequestration potential captured and verified via the Woodland Carbon Code. We will also explore further insetting options. | Scope 3 | Ongoing rolling projects | N/A |
| REGO Certification | We will ensure that electricity associated with our buildings and roadside electrical assets are purchased from a renewable source | Scope 2 | 2022-27 | N/A |
| Roads Projects Carbon Tool | We will create an updated embodied carbon calculator associated with roads construction and operation, which will replace our current CMS Project tool. This tool will be updated frequently and once launched will be publicly available | Scope 'i' | 2022-23 | N/A |
| Move to new energy efficient building | TS is moving to 177 Bothwell Street, an energy efficient building with sustainable specifications | Scope 1 & 2 | 2023-24 | To be determined |
| Removal of Gas from our buildings | We will remove gas boilers from our buildings | Scope 1 | 2023-24 | 150.5 |
| Business Travel Position Statements 2.0 | We will tighten our business travel position statements to ensure public transport is always considered as our first option | Scope 3 | 2023-24 | 3.7 |
| Energy Harvesting Trials | We will work with our partners to innovate and trial potential energy harvesting projects | Scope 2 & 'i' | 2022-27 | To be determined |
| Net Zero Route Map Construction & Maintenance | We will develop a route map to support the delivery of Net Zero through construction and maintenance on the TRN | Scope i | 2023-24 | N/A |
| Commute Travel to work Survey | We will continue to undertake commute travel to work surveys to capture emission associated with our staff travelling to work | Scope 3 | 2022-24 | N/A |
| Bespoke Climate Literacy Training for staff and stakeholders | We will undertake climate literacy courses for staff to ensure that they have an understanding of climate change and how to respond it appropriately | Scope 1, 2, 3 & 'i' | 2022-27 | N/A |
| Increased Cycling Capacity | We will offer more cycling and active travel facilities to our staff members | Scope 3 | 2023-24 | 1.1 |
| Car Hire - Hierarchy | We will set a new car hire hierarchy to ensure that electric cars are always considered first. Where not available we will ensure the cars, we do hire emit the lowest emissions | Scope 3 | 2023-24 | 2.5 |
| SG Pool Cars | Removal of combustion engine pool car from our allocation from motor services unit | Scope 3 | 2027 | N/A |
| Low carbon lighting in our buildings | Lighting in our building will be energy efficient | Scope 2 | 2023-24 | To be Determined |
| LED Replacement | We will continue the upgrade to LED lighting across our TRN | Scope 2 | 2022-27 | To be Determined |
| LED Dimming Trials | We will consider the potential for dimming lights of the TRN to support carbon savings | Scope 3 | 2023-24 | To be Determined |
| Hybrid Working | We will promote and encourage hybrid working across the agency | Scope 3 | 2022-27 | To be Determined |
| Promotion of vegan/vegetarian business/canteen lunches | We will encourage non meat alternatives within our canteens and for business lunches | Scope 'i' | 2023-27 | N/A |
| Scope 'i' Audit | We will undertake a Scope 'i' audit to ensure that we have a full understanding over the influence we have with our stakeholders, business partners and supply chain, to ensure that we can work with them on their journey to Net Zero | Scope 'i' | 2023-24 | N/A |
| Staff Personal electronics reuse/recycling initiative | We will offer an initiative to reuse/recycle personal electronic equipment which are no longer required by staff | Scope 'i' | 2024-25 | N/A |
Carbon offsetting/Insetting
Carbon offsetting is a method of compensating for emissions produced by funding the reduction or storage of carbon elsewhere. Carbon insetting refers to when the carbon reduction or storage occurs inside the organisation’s value chain. There are 2 main types of carbon offsetting mechanism:
- Emissions reduction – invest in reducing an existing emissions source e.g. some peatland restoration; and,
- Emissions removal – investing in projects that will remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere e.g. tree planting.
Our offsetting and insetting will follow The Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting which outline how offsetting needs to be approached to ensure it helps achieve a net zero society.
Prioritise reducing your own emissions first, ensure the environmental integrity of any offsets used, and disclose how offsets are used.
As a public body we are required to reduce our emissions as much as possible and achieve absolute carbon reduction. There will be some emissions that we are unable to remove entirely, which will require investment in carbon offsetting and in-setting to enable us to achieve our Net Zero targets. We will record why any direct emissions we are offsetting are unavoidable in our annual mandatory Climate Change Public Bodies Duties Report.
Environmental integrity will be achieved by following Scottish Government guidance for public bodies on carbon offsetting. Our projects will be reviewed to ensure the properties outlined below are fully understood and appropriately applied:
- Permanence – whether the GHG removal can be reversed, e.g. a forest fire, and what mitigation is in place for this.
- Leakage – any increased emissions that occur elsewhere from the offset e.g. construction emissions.
- Additionally – the project would not have been carried out if not to achieve the carbon offset.
- Verification – the carbon removed/avoided must be quantifiable and be able to be verified.
- Co-benefits – the wider benefits of the project, such as biodiversity net gain or climate change adaptation.
We are committed to verifying any offset projects through the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code, or any future standard of equivalent or higher environmental credibility. Any offsets used will be recorded in our annual mandatory Climate Change Public Bodies Duties Report.
In terms of co-benefits, we will aim to follow the key principles framed within Connecting Nature – a project funded through EU Horizon 2020. They provide a useful introduction to identifying and developing natural sequestration solutions and include the following considerations for projects:
- Does it use natural processes?
- Does it provide/improve social benefits?
- Does it provide/improve economic benefits?
- Does it provide/improve environmental benefits?
- Does it have a net-benefit on biodiversity?
Shift offsetting towards carbon removal, where offsets directly remove carbon from the atmosphere.
We will seek to deliver carbon insets through activities within our organisation boundary, such as carbon sequestration projects on our own land assets.
We will establish a number of bespoke tree planting projects on our estate, with sequestration potential captured and verified via the Woodland Carbon Code.
Shift offsetting towards long-lived storage, which removes carbon from the atmosphere permanently or almost permanently.
Due to the nature of our estate and work, tree planting will be the mainstay of our insetting programme. While trees cannot be considered to remove carbon permanently, they can be seen as a natural element of long-lived storage. We work closely with our landscaping colleagues to ensure that planting is well-managed, risks to the trees are minimised and the longevity of the storage is maximised as far as possible.
Support for the development of a market for net zero aligned offsets.
Our inset projects should enable us to meet our net zero targets. However, as tree planting takes time to establish, we may consider the purchase of carbon credits. Any credits purchased will be from offsets that are verified and purchased through external carbon markets. We will prioritise purchasing offsets from Scottish natural sequestration projects to support Scotland’s territorial 2045 net zero target.
Offsetting and in-setting will be integral to meeting the ambitious net zero targets outlined in this plan. Furthermore, our bespoke tree planting projects will support our organisation in adapting to a changing climate and enhancing the landscape and biodiversity related to our assets. Through offsets/insets we will seek to ensure they provide co-benefits for mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity.