OPINION: KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy was one of 14 New Zealand chief executives who came together last year to look at what they could do about climate change. Along with 59 others, he has signed the CEO Climate Change Statement, aimed at reducing carbon emissions in New Zealand. Here, he explains why:
One of the KiwiRail values that you’ll hear our people talk about around our yards, track and in lunchrooms up and down the country, is “care and protect”.
When you’re a 155-year-old business protecting not only our people in some of the most difficult workplaces in the country, but also the public who travel with us, living up to that value is critical.
But we also see ourselves as caring for and protecting one of New Zealand’s most valuable assets – our land and environment.
It is for this reason that this week I joined with 59 other New Zealand’s major business leaders to sign up to the Climate Leaders Coalition.
We are in a race to protect New Zealand from the harshest effects of climate change and committing to a low-emissions economy is a big step that business can take to help us win this race.
Peter Reidy
While transport accounts for 17 per cent of New Zealand’s carbon emissions, rail generates just 1 per cent of that total.
For KiwiRail that means doing all we can to move as much freight and as many people possible on to rail. Every tonne of freight carried by KiwiRail means a 66 per cent carbon emissions saving over heavy road freight.
When New Zealanders use rail they help reduce emissions by taking trucks and cars off the road, easing congestion and saving taxpayers money on road maintenance while making our roads safer.
While transport accounts for 17 per cent of New Zealand’s carbon emissions, rail generates just 1 per cent of that total.
Even so, when you move 25 per cent of the country’s exports, you are still using a lot of fuel.
KiwiRail takes that responsibility seriously – we have already cut our fuel consumption, and we are committed to cutting it further. We are serious about solutions and we are already dedicating very real resources, expertise and money to planning and projects that will allow us to further reduce our energy consumption and emissions.
The Locomotive Fuel Savings project has already shown significant success, delivering fuel savings of 16 million litres, or $11 million, since 2015 through the ground-breaking Driver Advisory System (DAS) and other energy initiatives on our rail freight services. DAS is our new in-cab technology system that advises drivers when to brake, coast and accelerate depending on terrain and freight loads, achieving significant fuel savings.
Now, with the help of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), we are looking to make savings on our ferry operations through a similar approach, monitoring fuel usage and sailing performance.
There will be those who say KiwiRail has no right to lead a discussion on climate change given we are replacing nine ageing electric locomotives on a section of the central North Island Main Trunk line. This tiny, orphan fleet is not helping us to get more freight onto rail through simplifying our operations and standardising our assets.
But there is a bigger, longer-term picture that we are working on for our busiest routes between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. The energy for that may come from electricity, if we invest in the infrastructure required, or it may come from a whole new fuel source for rail – hydrogen.
Signing today’s statement cements KiwiRail’s commitment to a low emissions economy and to exploring all ways to get there. It is urgent that New Zealand increases the pace of its transition and today shows that our business leaders believe that.
This is our time to make the best difference we can for the New Zealand of the future.
Peter Reidy is KiwiRail’s chief executive.