TfL Ref: 0328-1920
 
Thank you for your email received by us on 1 May 2019 asking for information about Transport for London (TfL) and zero carbon emissions.
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked for:
 
Status and requirements for TFL to transition the London transport network to low and zero carbon emissions
 
Please advise for each of the above four categories of transportation what TFLs existing targets are for the use of renewable (non-fossil fuel) energy? Whether those targets have been achieved and if not how much they were missed by?
 
Please advise for each of the four categories of transportation what future targets have been set with respect to low and zero carbon emissions and the use of renewable (non-fossil fuel) energy?
 
Please advise who is responsible for setting any such targets which TFL would be responsible for implementing.
 
We can advise that TfL’s carbon emissions reduction targets are set by the Mayor of London through the London Environment Strategy, available via the following link: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/london-environment-strategy) and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/our-vision-transport/mayors-transport-strategy-2018?intcmp=46686). The current Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has set an overall ambition for London to be zero carbon by 2050; which is inclusive of the transport categories referenced in your request.
 
The London Environment Strategy and Mayor’s Transport Strategy also set specific targets for specific transport modes, particularly those managed by TfL. These targets include:
 
• TfL-controlled rail services (including London Underground and London Overground) - ambition for all electricity supplying these services to come from zero carbon sources by 2030 through on-site generation, direct connection to renewable energy supplies or zero carbon energy supplied through the grid.
 
• London Buses – commitment for all TfL bus services to be zero emission at exhaust by 2037 the latest. The bus fleet would likely be a mixture of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. We are looking at ways for the vehicles’ energy supply to be zero carbon on a well-to-wheel (WTW) basis.
 
• London taxis – as of January 2018, all newly registered black taxis in London must be Zero Emission Capable (ZEC). Under our current taxi licensing regulations taxis are subject to a 15-year age limit, meaning that by 2033 at the latest all taxis on London’s roads would be ZEC. In the longer term the Mayor and TfL will ensure that all taxis are fully Zero Emission compliant.
 
The London Environment Strategy sets out carbon budgets for London up to 2032 to act as interim targets on the pathway to zero carbon. These budgets include a transport element covering the modes above. TfL reports on its direct carbon emissions performance through its annual Health Safety and Environment report, which can be accessed here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/health-safety-and-environment.
 
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London