By Paul Hirst, head of transport at Addleshaw Goddard, and Tim Burleigh, head of external relations at Eversholt

SCOTLAND has set a strong precedent for lowering carbon emissions and becoming more environmentally friendly. The phased roll-out of Low Emission Zones, investment in electric vehicles and grants made available to local councils demonstrates the country’s commitment to meeting the ambitious environmental targets outlined by the Scottish Government in May.

Decarbonisation of our cities comes at a time when we’re becoming more environmentally conscious – driven by years of international debate and finally resulting in multi-lateral agreement (in one form or another) on climate change on a global scale. At a domestic level and as a society, sustainability has never enjoyed such mainstream attention in the media, in businesses – consumer and corporate – and by our own local policy makers.

While great strides have been taken to minimise our carbon-footprint in Scotland – indeed the country could be seen as a case study in sustainability in many respects – there is much more to do if we are to meet the 2045 net-zero emission climate target.

Public transport has long been mooted as a key driver in lowering emissions in our towns and cities. For the railway sector in particular – which former UK Transport Minister, Jo Johnson, challenged to remove all diesel-only trains by 2040 – Scotland is in a prime position to set the blueprint for decarbonisation.

The structure of the devolved Scottish rail system – the alliance model – provides advantages which support rail investment, which in turn plays into the decarbonisation agenda. The model – which sees aligned behaviours between partners through a system of collaboration, shared incentives and objectives – paves the way for innovation and cooperation between Network Rail, Transport Scotland, the ScotRail franchisee, alongside suppliers and the Scottish Government – in theory making it easier to make substantive changes to the rail network.

Crucially, acting as one national ‘Team Scotland’ movement enables significant investment projects to take place across the country, with costs which can be absorbed across the whole network and via multiple suppliers, rather than one region or operator having to foot the bill.

Phase one of Scotland’s rail electrification programme saw more than 711km of the network being converted as part of the government’s visionary long-term plan. Electric trains are quieter, faster and have a lower carbon footprint than their diesel counterparts – playing a key role in delivering decarbonisation. In parallel with its rolling electrification programme Transport Scotland is working with industry specialists to introduce innovative low-emissions trains on less heavily-utilised routes.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government supports decarbonisation through investment in facilities that foster a more sustainable approach to travel. Electric car charging ports and additional bike racks at stations, alongside expansive park and ride facilities, all encourage the use of the trains into major towns and cities.

Enhancement of the stations has contributed to higher passenger numbers across Scotland, taking additional strain and unnecessary cars off our road network.

While the railway in Scotland still needs improvement, the alliance model is clearly working, and indeed is helping shape the Williams Review – which seeks to radically overhaul the UK’s railways following systemic failings resulting from fragmentation, short-termism, conflicts of interest and a general lack of alignment. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the UK, it would be surprising if the final review’s recommendations – due in autumn – do not include positive reference to the alliance model.

Scotland must be proud of its contribution to this debate so far. It has clearly shown that, by fostering a shared vision among stakeholders for Scotland’s railways, the country can be successful in creating a more efficient, carbon-friendly transport infrastructure which can pave the way for the rest of the UK.