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Green light for environment programme: 26 October 2009; Merseytravel’s Pier Head Ferry Terminal building Merseytravel’s environmental policies have been given an international seal of approval.

Following an independent audit, the organisation has retained its certification of the international standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS), ISO 14001.

To gain the certification Merseytravel had to demonstrate that it was working to limit its environmental impact, is training staff, complying with legislation and delivering continual environmental improvements.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, which is also a partner in Liverpool’s Year of the Environment, said: “We were the first passenger authority in the country to gain this certification six years ago and the environment remains very important for our future transport plans too. We will keep looking for ways to improve.”

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, said: “We have led the way on environmental stewardship since we became the very first passenger transport body in the country to produce an Environmental Strategy thirteen years ago.

“That strategy – and the ongoing commitment from our staff, partners and contractors – continues to be an important element of all we do. To be reaccredited in 2009, Year of the Environment makes the achievement that extra bit special.”

Two major projects over recent years, Liverpool South Parkway and the new Pier Head Ferry Terminal, have been built with environmental stewardship at their foundations.

Both are rated as “very good” BREEAM* standard buildings, using elements such as rain water harvesting, geothermal heat pumps, roof insulation or solar cells.

Merseytravel is working with Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties and contractors BAM to achieve BREEAM “excellence” for its new headquarters in Mann Island.

The news comes in the same year as Merseytravel also achieved the Carbon Trust Standard – it is the first body of its type in the UK to do so.

To achieve the standard, Merseytravel had to show it is taking real and direct action on climate change by reducing its carbon footprint year on year.

Merseytravel’s carbon footprint has dropped by seven per cent since 2006.

It has been achieved by introducing a range of new measures such as lower engine speeds on the Mersey Ferries, state-of-the-art systems to control energy use and solar panels in the company’s buildings; as well as solar powered road signs and variable speed drives and motors for the giant ventilation fans at the Mersey Tunnels.

* BREEAM is the BRE Environmental Assessment Method and is a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment. It is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method to measure used to describe a building`s environmental performance.; Back to Media Centre