Environment
The North American business includes a school bus operation, a bus transit operation and a maintenance and service operation. The company is spread across more than 400 sites that each undertake vehicle maintenance, washing and fuelling.
| The main environmental impacts associated with these activities are as follows. | |
|---|---|
| Climate Change | Emissions of carbon dioxide from operation of buses, buildings, and staff and business travel |
| Air Quality | Emissions of nitric oxides, particulates, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide from operation of buses |
| Use of Resources - Energy | Use of energy to heat and light depots |
| Use of Resources - Water | Use of water to wash buses and for domestic purposes |
| Waste Management | Management of waste arising from maintenance operations, offices and waste derived from customers on the buses |
Our environmental performance in relation to the above issues is reported below. We report performance in relation to total emissions but also normalised per vehicle kilometre. In North America we operate contracts on behalf of our customers: business growth is not dependent on passenger numbers (which are not monitored).
Our Management Framework
Environmental strategy and initiatives in North America are led by the environmental representatives from each of the North American businesses and supported by Strata, our environmental consultants. At each operating location, a nominated person is accountable for environmental issues relating to the field operations.
Standards for environmental management are set out in the recently updated FirstGroup America Environmental Management Manual. The Manual sets minimum standards to meet the most stringent federal and state requirements. These procedures are supplemented at local company level where different regulatory standards may apply.
Each of the North America operating companies has an audit programme to audit individual locations against the requirements of the Management Manual. The method and frequency of audits varies between companies.
In addition, all new sites are audited prior to lease or purchase to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met. Action plans are then developed to rectify any issues identified.
Learning and Development
Each operating company has a rolling programme of environmental training designed to ensure that all employees understand the local regulatory framework and are competent in managing environmental risks. The programme consists of on-site training enriched by Strata's on-line training. It covers:
- general environmental awareness;
- storm water permitting and pollution prevention; and
- spill prevention and response.
This training has been completed by all those with environmental accountability at site level. It is also available, as appropriate, to other employees as part of continuing staff development.