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KiwiRail has introduced a carbon calculator to help customers compare the emissions impact of travelling by rail, road or air.
The tool allows users to input details about what is travelling on the KiwiRail network, producing an emissions estimate for that journey and comparing it with equivalent transport options. When freight travels between islands, the calculation incorporates Interislander emissions across Cook Strait.
Passengers travelling on Great Journeys New Zealand services can also compare emissions from the Northern Explorer, TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific with car travel. For the Northern Explorer, passengers can compare their journey with the equivalent flight.
KiwiRail executive Vanessa Oakley says customers increasingly want better information to support sustainable transport decisions.
“Increasingly, customers want more information to support their transport decisions, and tools for estimating and comparing carbon emissions are now common features of transport providers worldwide,” Vanessa says.
“Our new calculator is a simple tool that makes it easy for our customers to assess their estimated carbon footprints and compare travel choices.”
KiwiRail has set a target to reduce its own emissions by 40 per cent over the next decade and reach net zero emissions by 2050, aligning with the Government’s target. Transport contributes 18 per cent of New Zealand’s total emissions, and rail offers a lower-carbon alternative for both freight and passengers.
The calculator is designed to support individual travellers as well as business customers with carbon commitments who want easier ways to assess sustainable transport options. Its methodologies, inputs and assumptions have been reviewed and verified by Toitū Envirocare.
The calculator is available on the Great Journeys New Zealand and KiwiRail websites.
