Music Fans Can 'Go Green' to Live Earth2 July 2007 Getting to the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium on 7 July shouldn't cost the earth thanks to National Express. The UK's leading coach company, a new member of The Climate Group's 'We're in This Together' campaign, is launching a variety of initiatives in the run up to the global concert to make it easier for consumers to help the environment. Concert goers are being encouraged to enter into the true spirit of the day and reduce their carbon footprint by going by coach. It is officially one of the greenest ways to go, better than the car, train or bus* and National Express has invested in creating a brand new network of services directly linking 43 towns and cities to the gates of the national stadium. Using the measure of carbon emissions on a per passenger kilometre basis (gCO2/pass.km) with data that has been calculated independently by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management, each person travelling from Manchester can save 27gCO2/pass going by coach instead of the car, that is the equivalent of boiling 495 kettles, or powering the average home for 1.6 days. To encourage the use of coach, rather than the car, beyond traveling to events like Live Earth, the first 1000 people who book a ticket will receive a free coach card offering discounts of up to 30% throughout the year. On board, people can sit back, relax and read about some simple steps they can take to help the environment in a new National Express newsletter. They will also be encouraged to enter a competition to win a year's free coach travel by making a pledge to change one thing about their everyday life to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Pledges will be displayed on poster sites in main coach stations around the UK. Progress reports and success stories will also follow. Additionally, special coaches liveried in green footprints with messages urging people to change their travel behaviour from cars to coach have been designed and will travel to Wembley and around the UK. Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, organisers of the We're in this Together campaign who are key partners of Live Earth, said: "We're in this Together is all about making it easier for consumers to reduce their emissions and we're delighted to welcome National Express to the campaign. "Transport plays a key role in people's everyday lives and travelling by coach rather than the car is one way in which individuals can significantly reduce their CO2 footprint. This initiative during Live Earth provides the perfect opportunity for people to think about changing their travel habits" Paul Bunting, Chief Executive, National Express, added: "More people are being made aware that travelling by coach is more environmentally friendly than other transport modes, and we are delighted to be working with The Climate Group to make it simpler for people to reduce their carbon footprint". "Concert goers will be entering into the true meaning of the day - that little actions can make a big difference - and they can rest assured travelling with National Express will make that difference. For example, nearly 300,000 tonnes of CO2 were saved from entering the atmosphere by people using the coach instead of the car in 2006." National Express is committed to taking the lead in climate change by delivering sustainable, value for money transport. The company will continue to promote the crucial role that coach travel has to play in reducing greenhouse gases and is set to launch its own online carbon calculator later this year. For further information on the services to Wembley Stadium, visit National Express's website at www.nationalexpress.com/wembley, the Wembley Stadium website at www.wembleystadium.com/gettingtowembley, call 08717 818181, or visit a National Express outlet. -ENDS- For more information, please contact (MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY):
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