Launching Industry-Leading High-Speed Railway Sustainability Strategy

Oct 21, 2020 | News

We have worked with HS1 Ltd to develop an industry-leading sustainability strategy and roadmap for the UK’s only high-speed railway which launched today, Wednesday 21st October 2020.

The only high-speed railway in the UK, HS1 runs between London’s St Pancras International and the Channel Tunnel.  HS1 Ltd was delivering many positive steps under the title of ‘sustainability’ but recognised that it lacked a coherent message and collective set of targets.

QSA Partners were selected to partner with HS1 Ltd to prepare a sustainability strategy and bring cohesion to a range of focus areas.  After carrying out extensive research we worked with the senior management team at HS1 to develop a vision, strategy and programme to work with stakeholders and deliver aspirational targets.  This strategy was launched today and outlines how HS1 is addressing climate change, energy and resource use, social impact and biodiversity. Setting a truly industry-leading approach to sustainability, the strategy included plans to become the first UK railway to run solely on renewable energy and to become carbon neutral within ten years.

Richard Thorp, Engineering Director, HS1 Ltd says: “At HS1 we want to be a trailblazer and help drive sustainability across our industry.  QSA Partners have provided expertise and guidance to enable us to see sustainability through the lenses of different areas of the company and identify a clear joined-up strategy.  We are pleased to start the next phase of work with QSA Partners where we will be implementing our roadmap through collective action with our key stakeholders.”

Kristina Bull, QSA Partners says: “HS1 have had a strong record on sustainability initiatives and we are delighted to have been able to help them to develop a cohesive strategy and a clear roadmap to even greater success.  We look forward to continuing to work with them to see these aspirational plans put into practice.”

Read the full press release here and sustainability report.

QSA Partners is a specialist team of circular economy and sustainable business experts with extensive experience in mobility and consumer markets. We have worked with many clients including riversimple, the Uk’s hydrogen car brand, and adidas, the global sportswear brand. We believe that better business models – whether based on sustainability or circular economy principles – help our clients stay relevant, grow market share and open up different markets in this rapidly changing world, providing business resilience against the impacts and risks of climate change. Find out more about our services or contact us to see how we can help your business benefit.

Jennifer Decker/

I enable businesses to reduce their business and product impacts from setting out a sustainability strategy to supporting the delivery of circular business models. Businesses I have supported include High Speed 1 Ltd, Cotton Incorporated, Argent, Heathrow Expansion, Northern Trust Bank, EDF New Nuclear Build, EY, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence.

I specialise on working within an organisation which has included my tenure as sustainability specialist at EDF New Nuclear Build and at WRAP developing their Textiles 2030 agreement and produced their 2030 circular textiles pathway working with the major retailers, reuse & recycling businesses and charities.

Prior to QSA, I was an associate director at Mace Group where I enabled built environment clients to deliver their carbon reduction programmes and sustainable construction strategies by setting measurable KPIs and targets; creating tools to monitor; embed performance standards in procurement and communication.

Previously, I led the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan at WRAP setting the 2020 targets, strategy and implementation for the UK clothing industry.

Kristina Bull /

I led our project with Laudes Foundation and ReLondon on the Circular Fashion Fast Forward project that saw us develop circular models with adidas; FW and Farfetch as well as lay the foundations for Ted Baker’s work in this area.

I am leading the development of a fibre specific recycling programme within Europe which will be launched in early 2022.

I am an apparel durability expert with track record of change implementation at Whistles, ASOS, COS and worked with WRAP and John Lewis to produce a durability and quality guide for brands.

I have advised low carbon, resource efficiency and sustainability strategy development at Heathrow and High Speed 1 Ltd, and continue to lead the support work for HS1 through to their participation at COP26 in November 2021.

Before QSA at WRAP I delivered the market engagement and recruitment drive for the WRAP Halving Waste to Landfill agreement in the built environment sector.

Gerrard Fisher /

I have a strong track record in sustainability with a wide range of clients. My original background is in process and chemical engineering so I’ve been in to process and resource efficiency since graduating a long time ago!

I’ve supported circular business model transformation in companies such as adidas, Argos, ASOS, B&Q (Kingfisher), FARFETCH, FW, Samsung, MuJo Fitness and more: I led a team that created WRAP’s original circular business model project called REBus.

I have extensive experience working with electrical and electronic products, and I worked with many major global brands on improving design for durabiltiy and repairabilitly. Examples of projects I led include:

  • Groundbreaking research into the nature of mercury hazards in flat-panel TVs (leading to industry voluntary labelling)
  • Creation of design guides for retail buyers so they could improve the durability (and reduce warranty costs) of their own-brand products.
  • Delivery of communication campaigns that increased e-waste recycling collections by over 40% in target areas.

Through my past work at WRAP and beyond, I’ve also advised a range of governmental and NGO organisations on resource efficiency, ecodesign and circular economy including Defra, BEIS, Zero Waste Scotland, ReLondon and Oxfordshire County Council. I provide technical advisory and independent expert advice to UKRI, the European Commission, the US Government’s Department of Energy.

I get a kick out of helping businesses understand and meet their customers’ needs better - whether that’s through better business models, better product design or better communication and transparency.

This has also led me to take an interest in privacy and data management - which can be a big barrier to people reusing and recycling some of their old electrical stuff. As a result, I set up a business called Astrid to provide cost-effective privacy advice to small businesses so they can better protect their customer information.

Mark Hodgson /

I specialise on the innovation and proposition development of new customer orientated, commercially driven circular and sharing business model to market. I have a particular experience of working on circular models with sectors that are impacted by the change in lifestyles, consumption, digital mobility, electric infrastructure and NetZero, on place. Examples range from retail; IKEA, adidas, B&Q, ASOS, FarFetch, developers and OEM’s; Landsec & Samsung, mobility; Riversimple, HS1 & Co Cars and authorities; Oxford County Council and Exeter Velocities/Exeter City Council. Across all of these, I have helped deliver the propositions, services, operations and infrastructure to enable deployment. 

As a director of Co-cars, multi-modal shared e-mobility provider of EV cars, e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, I have first-hand experience of the impact and change this market can have on people and place, through working with local authorities and housing developers. 

I understand what processes and techniques to apply, how to encourage growth and change mindsets, and how to build a customer-focused, commercially viable business model that delivers circular and environmental benefits. My background is business development, technology and markets having worked for international companies to local SMEs. I've worked in a wide range of projects from global business propositions, sales as a service, sharing and circular business models, ‘low carbon’ LEP economic strategies, climate change adaptation, renewable energy, clean tech sector development and public sector partnerships to technical research, international development and project delivery management.

Being a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and geographer at heart I've worked on sustainable development projects and film productions in locations in Africa, Asia and Europe.