CIÉ, which owns Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and CIÉ Tours, said it has cut its emissions per passenger as part of the role of public transport in delivering Ireland's Climate Action Plan.
The CIÉ Group of Companies today published its 2022 Sustainability Annual Review and reaffirmed its commitment to continue its journey towards sustainability.
It said it is fully devoted to supporting Ireland's Climate Action Plan and advancing the planned 130% increase in daily public transport journeys by 2030, while simultaneously cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 51% within the transport sector.
The transport company said its CO2 emissions per passenger journey fell to 1.17 last year, down from 1.94 in 2021, which it said showed an increase in emissions efficiency and a recovery in passenger demand from the Covid-19 pandemic.
It also ordered another 90 battery electric train carriages for Iarnród Éireann, in addition to 95 ordered in 2021, as part of a framework to procure 750 over the coming decade for DART+.
Orders were placed by the NTA for 120 double-deck battery-electric buses to be deployed in Ireland by Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann, the first step of a planned introduction of 800 zero-emission battery-electric buses across the country.
The company also introduced the first reverse vending machines on the Irish public transport network by Bus Éireann and the installation of rainwater harvesting system at Summerhill Bus depot in Dublin to manage resource use.
Meanwhile, CIÉ Tours developed its "Responsible Tourism Policy" to support the growth sustainable tourism in Ireland, while Iarnród Éireann published biodiversity guidelines as part of pledge to minimise impacts on and maximise benefits to the environment.
CIÉ Group chief executive Lorcan O'Connor said that nobody doubts the challenges ahead in delivering the country's Climate Action Plan.
"However, in the CIÉ Group, we are committed to transforming our services and operations into a low carbon, fully circular business," he added.
