Review of Transport Scotland's CMP Third Edition

CMP3, was published in 2016 as a high-level statement of intent concerning carbon emissions associated with our business. The scope of our carbon footprint boundary was expanded to encompass both our operations-based emissions (business travel, building utilities etc.) and energy consumption on the Trunk Road Network (TRN), based on a baseline year of 2015/16. CMP v3 set two distinct targets:

• By 2019/20, Transport Scotland will have reduced our operational emissions carbon footprint by 20%, based on the 2015/16 baseline;
• By 2019/20, Transport Scotland will have reduced our Network Energy emissions carbon footprint by 25%, based on the 2015/16 baseline.

Operational Emissions

The scope of our operational emissions in CMP3 included:

• Gas (Scope 1);
• Electricity (Scope 2);
• Water - Buchanan House Only (Scope 3);
• Waste - Buchanan House Only (Scope 3);
• Business (Scope 3); and,
• Commute travel (Scope 3).

The combined baseline calculated for these emissions sources was 1,375 tCO₂e. At the end of the financial year 2019/20, the combined emissions associated with these sources had been reduced to 976 tCO₂e, 29% below baseline levels and surpassing the original target by 9%.

Reductions were made via a series of projects outlined in CMP3, however the largest reduction in emissions was made in electricity use at our buildings. This reduction was twofold and was in part due to our “Smarter Workplaces” project which reduced floor space at our main office, but also reduced by the decarbonisation of the UK electricity grid.

Network Energy Emissions

TS is responsible for the management and operation of a considerable number of Roadside Electrical Assets (REAs) on the TRN throughout Scotland. While our previous CMP (v2) only took account of our operational carbon footprint, it was agreed that CMP3 would baseline and include Network Energy emissions associated with the REAs.

Due to the large proportion of CO₂e emissions associated with lighting on the TRN, the CMP focused on those projects which would have the greatest impact in reducing these emissions. The agency therefore invested in a large-scale conversion programme for all roadside lighting assets, from the standard typical high intensity discharge luminaries currently in place, to light-emitting diodes (LED).

The benefits were two-fold as, not only would it support the ambitious carbon reduction targets set in CMP v3, but it would also support wider SG energy efficiency ambitions.

The baseline calculated for Network Energy emissions was 20847 tCO₂e. Following completion of the financial year 2019/20, emissions associated with this source had been reduced to 6,247 tCO₂e, with emissions having been reduced by 70%, surpassing the target by 45%.

The success of our CMP3, and in particular our LED replacement project, led to 4 awards over the course of 2019, including:

• Scottish Green Apple awards - silver award for Environmental Best Practice;
• International Green Apple awards - a bronze award for Environmental Best Practice;
• Energy Managers Association - Energy Management Project of the year 2019; and,
• Scotland Region Energy Efficiency Awards - Large Scale Project of the year.