The Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit 2025: First Bus drives home greener travel with First Charge
First Bus is driving home the UK’s transition to cleaner, greener travel with First Charge — opening up its electric vehicle (EV) charging to more users.
As a returning sponsor of The Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit 2025, the company, one of the UK’s largest bus operators, is reaffirming its commitment to the UK’s net zero goals.
First Bus will outline its plans at the event - returning for its fifth year - which unites the region’s most determined leaders, innovators and campaigners, with a mission to tackle climate change to safeguard the future.
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First Bus is taking a leading role in supporting the journey to net zero through its First Charge nationwide programme that opens up its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to more users, building on its growing shared-charging network.
It aims to enable businesses, fleet operators, and, in selected locations, the wider public to benefit from its investment in high-capacity EV charging facilities.
The First Charge programme is rolling out across 15 depots nationwide, including key Yorkshire locations such as Bramley and York, to address critical gaps in charging infrastructure and provide reliable, high-power charging in strategically important areas.
First Bus is already partnering with leading organisations including DPD, Centrica, and Openreach to provide depot-based charging. By opening up its network, the company is helping to electrify passenger transport, last-mile delivery, emergency services, and other commercial fleets that are essential to everyday life.
First Bus Head of Product for EV Charging, Andy Gwilliam, will feature in a strong line-up of speakers and panellists for ‘Accelerating the change to more electric journeys’ which includes Coun Jenny Kent, City of York Council, David Waters, Transport for the North, and Professor Greg Marsden, University of Leeds.
Other panellists at this year’s The Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit include Lord Deben, former Chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, Tom Riordan, Chief Executive, Leeds City Council, Professor Simone Buitendijk, Vice-Chancellor, University of Leeds and Paul McCormick, Managing Director of Energy Solutions, National Grid.
Mr Gwilliam said: "Fast, accessible and high-volume charging is crucial for electrifying transport and our network is ready to be a leader in providing this critical infrastructure.
"Tackling the emissions of road freight, last mile delivery and passenger transport are vital to the UK’s net-zero ambitions. HGVs account for around 5% of vehicles but approximately 19% of domestic transport emissions; coaches and vans are also under increasing scrutiny, while emergency services are under pressure to decarbonise their fleets.
“High vehicle costs, grid constraints, lack of cost-effective high-powered charging, and uncertainty on technology choice remain barriers to adoption.
“First Bus designed depot electrification with third-party charging in mind from day one, which allows First Charge to offer ultra-rapid, scalable, secure charging using REGO-certified green energy, at low cost, and in strategically important UK locations.”
The Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit 2025, with headline sponsor Zenith, promises a full day of debate, inspiration, and action focused on delivering Yorkshire’s climate emergency action plan.
Attendees will hear from influential speakers, explore practical solutions, and connect with others committed to driving meaningful change across the region and beyond
It aims to address climate challenges, set shared goals, and shape the region’s climate action plan.
Headline speakers include Victoria Murray, Project Manager at Ousewem, the Defra-backed flood resilience project, Mark Henderson, Flood Risk Manager, City of York Council, George Richmond, Grow Yorkshire Partnership Officer for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Luke Wellock, Director of Luke Wellock Sustainability Ltd.
Other speakers include Ian Hughes, CEO, Corporate and Consumer division at headline sponsor Zenith, and Alan Bastey , its Decarbonisation and Sustainability Consultant.
James Mitchinson, Editor of The Yorkshire Post, will address the summit, reinforcing the paper’s commitment to championing climate action as the event deals with business, political, legal and community perspectives on tackling climate change.
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