Environment

The STIB: a solution for a greener mobility

When you choose the bus, tram or metro, you choose greener mobility. And greener mobility means a city that breathes.

Public transport helps reducing the use of cars in the city and therefore reduces traffic jams and pollution. As a company, we also strive to reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment. Our actions cover all our activities: driving, vehicle maintenance, construction and maintenance of infrastructures, purchasing, etc. To do this, we are implementing a series of innovative solutions in favour of the environment.

Discover them in this article.

Why choose public transport?

Because you like to read, play Candy Crush, sleep, not have to look for a parking spot... or get around in an environmentally friendly way.

Simple calculation: where a car carries 1 to 5 people...

A standard bus: 65 people
An articulated bus: 100 people
A T3000 tram: 180 people
A T2000 tram: 250 people
A metro: 725 people

That's a lot of cars not caught up in the traffic, which is a source of pollution. When you take the bus, tram or metro, you free up space and contribute to a smoother flow of traffic. This is good for the planet, good for air quality, but also good for car drivers who may not have any other option.

In short, if everyone limited car use, public transport would be even more efficient and the car an effective last resort. And, above all, the city would be more breathable.

Some key figures

4.7: Using public transport reduces CO₂ emissions on average by more than 4 times compared to using a car.
5,451: This is the number of solar panels on the roofs of our buildings, covering an area of 9,333 m² (figures from the 2022 annual report).
12.3%: We have improved our energy performance by 12.3% compared to 2018 (2022 annual report figures), thanks to projects such as:
- The renewal of our bus fleet;
- The construction and renovation of buildings according to green building principles;
- The installation of solar panels;
- The replacement of lighting with LED lights.
40%: We have a 2030 carbon and energy strategy, aiming to reduce our CO₂ emissions per place-kilometre offered on the network by 40%. Place-kilometres are the number of places available in all metros, trams and buses, multiplied by the kilometres travelled by them.
1.7%: Our target is to reduce our energy consumption by 1.7% per year.
14001: In 2020, we renewed our ISO 14001 certification, obtained in 2017, for all our activities. This tool encourages companies to control and reduce the impact of their activities on the environment.
64%: We use rainwater and/or recycled water in 64% of our vehicle washing facilities.

A three-fold approach

We base our approach on three main areas to reduce our energy impact:

Vehicles: We work on reducing the energy consumption of our buses, trams and metros and on improving the efficiency of our vehicles. We purchase new, cleaner vehicles and encourage eco-driving.
Infrastructure: We are developing an investment plan to optimise our existing buildings and apply green building principles to our renovation and construction projects.
Energy supply: the energy we consume is certified 100% renewable, thanks to the guarantee of origin system, or is produced locally through solar panels. Since April 2023, we have also been supplied with local wind energy through a contract with Aspiravi.

Ever greener vehicles

The good news is that trams and metros run on 100% green electricity. On the bus side, we are investing in ever greener technologies. Of our 860 buses, 402 are hybrid buses and 37 are electric (figures from the 2022 annual report).

By 2035, the entire bus fleet will be electric. We are preparing for this transition at full throttle, with the adaptation of our depots and stops to allow the recharging of electric buses. We expect a new delivery of 94 electric buses, 70 articulated and 24 standard, in 2024 and 2025.

A new type of bus is also being tested on the network since 2021: the hydrogen bus. This technology could also be an alternative to fossil fuels for the propulsion of the bus fleet. To be continued...

Vehicles, but also buildings

Depots, workshops, administrative buildings... We operate in 33 sites. We strive to minimise the energy consumption in alle these buildings.

The solution? We apply the principles of eco-construction when designing or renovating our buildings. We include solar panels, efficient insulation, LED lighting, rainwater and wastewater recovery systems and green areas.

A good example is the Erasme metro depot, our latest construction. It is equipped with geothermal wells to help heat this impressive building, solar panels, water recovery systems. The Erasme depot has also obtained BREEAM Design Stage certification (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), an international standard that assesses the environmental impact of a building.

Circular economy and waste management

We have a wide variety of waste: plastic, paper, household waste, but also poles, rails, cables, wood, tyres, dead leaves, batteries, vehicles, light bulbs, air filters, windscreens... and the list goes on. In total, 80% of the waste is reused, recycled or recovered as energy.

And we have no shortage of imagination when it comes to giving new life to this so-called waste. Some are reused, while others are transformed into all kinds of objects. Construction site canvas become shopping bags, old orange validating machine become key boxes and leather scraps from seats become pockets for MOBIB cards. To discover these objects, visit www.stibstore.be.

What to do in case of a pollution peak?

What is a pollution peak?

A pollution peak is caused by the concentration of fine particles and/or nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. These peaks are particularly harmful for, among others, people suffering from respiratory problems, allergies, the elderly or young children.

Pollution peaks occur when weather conditions prevent the dispersion of pollutants in the air: low temperatures, absence of wind and, above all, the phenomenon of thermal inversion (lower layers of air are colder than the upper layers). This leads to a general deterioration in air quality.

The Brussels Region has established four pollutant concentration thresholds at which information is provided to the public and, in some cases, measures are implemented to limit the emission of atmospheric pollutants.

The 4 thresholds of the emergency plan

The different thresholds provide for measures depending on the level of pollutant concentration and their persistence.

	Threshold 0 – Information and awareness threshold: citizens are encouraged to adopt different behaviour in order to limit pollutant emissions, for example by using an alternative mode of transport to the car and/or by limiting heating.
	Persistence of threshold 0 – Information and intervention threshold: after two consecutive days of threshold 0, speed limits are imposed on car drivers, and our network and the Villo! day ticket are free.
	Intervention threshold 1: speed limits for car drivers, our network and the Villo! day ticket are free.
	Action level 2: with the exception of certain vehicles, traffic is prohibited in the Brussels Region. Our network and the Villo! day ticket are free.