Join us at RIA’s new Leeds office for our next Environment & Sustainability Member Interest Group a focused, members-only event offering valuable insight into sustainable practices across the rail sector. The agenda will feature a range of expert speakers covering national strategies, regional initiatives, and practical case studies:
Agenda:
12:00 - 12:45: Lunch
12:45 - 13:15: Robert Vaughan, SME Lead at the Department for Transport will brief members on the benefits of the new Procurement Act for SMEs and VSMEs. He will also cover the new Procurement Policy Note and the Central Digital Platform. (This will be a joint session with the RIA North LG and SME Groups.)
13:15 - 13:30: Break
13:30: - 14:00: Neil Roberts, Programme Manager, Contracts and Procurement, Network Rail (Online by Teams)
Neil will provide an overview of Network Rail’s Sustainable Supplier Chain Programme, highlighting key developments and expectations that will be important for all suppliers to understand and act upon.
14:00 - 14:30 Rachael Everard, Director of Sustainability, RSSB
Rachael will present on the Sustainable Rail Blueprint, outlining how her team is supporting the rail industry in embedding sustainability across operations and decision-making.
14:30 - 15:00: Break
15:00 - 15:30: Matthew Oxby, Transport Planner, Transport for the North (TfN) and David Waters, Principal Policy and Strategy Officer, TfN
Matthew will set the scene will set the scene, explaining TfN's strategic approach to rail decarbonisation through electrification and rolling stock planning.
Building on Matthew’s introduction, David will explore how TfN develops evidence to support their strategic rail planning and their partners rail investment priorities, using recent work on the vulnerability of the North’s heavy rail infrastructure to climate-related hazards as a case study.
15:30 - 16:00: David Gray, Head of Energy and Environment, Northern Rail will share the opportunities and challenges of implementing Northern Rail’s sustainability programme.
The session will include time for Q&A, discussion, and networking with fellow members.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain insights into leading sustainability initiatives and to connect with peers working on similar challenges across the sector.