Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the use of low emission (a) vehicles and (b) machinery during the construction of High Speed Two.

HS2 Ltd have set a range of engine emission requirements and targets for all construct vehicles and non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) and these can be found in the HS2 Information Paper E31; Air Quality https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/672406/E31_-_Air_Quality_v1.5.pdf

The requirements form part of the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements under the Act, and ensure all heavy goods vehicles meet the Euro VI engine emission standard, and all cars and vans meet the Euro 6 diesel / Euro 4 petrol engine emission standards. It also includes ambitious targets for cleaner than Euro VI HGVs and the introduction of Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles, along with carbon dioxide fleet average emissions. HS2 and its suppliers currently have a large range of low emission NRMM on HS2 sites including electric, hybrid, hydrogen and solar.

HS2 Ltd are the first organisation to require NRMM emission standards outside of London. Within London NRMM emission standards surpass the existing Greater London Authority standards. As these standards are Environmental Minimum Requirements, HS2 contractors are encouraged to exceed them.

HS2 Ltd report compliance to these standards regularly to Local Authorities and publish annual summaries in the HS2 Annual Air Quality Report which is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2