In 2009 Network Rail set a target to divert 97% of the waste handled by National Delivery Service (NDS) from landfill by 2014.

More than 10% off the target, the 86% diversion rate (1,311,454 tonnes) of the 1,524,812 tonnes of infrastructure waste it handled this year has prompted the company to reveal it is “now clear” that it will fall short of the 97% target.

Cushioning the blow, Network Rail said it “expects to deliver significantly improved performance next year and is working towards achieving the target in Control Period 5 [Network Rail’s delivery plan from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2019]”.

In addition, Network Rail said that initial energy consumption data revealed a “small reduction in our carbon footprint of 2%”.

It attributed this to a reduction in the amount of electricity used which “more than offset a rise in gas consumption”.

“We have a public target to reduce carbon emissions from our managed stations, offices and depots. Our aim is to reduce emissions at these locations by 20% by 2014 against a 2006/07 baseline. Our initial assessment for 2012/13 is that we achieved a 14% reduction, the same as in 2011/12,” it stated in the report.

Leigh Stringer

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