Patrick Malone is the Head of the Rail Environmental Sustainability team within the UK’s Department for Transport. He is responsible for developing policy to improve the sustainability of the railway, including the following priorities: rail decarbonisation, to ensure that the railway makes an appropriate contribution to delivering the legal target of net zero carbon emissions across the economy by 2050; supporting Network Rail to make best use of the railway estate, reducing carbon by providing space for renewable electricity generation and carbon-absorbing vegetation; establishing a better understanding of rail's air quality impacts and developing appropriate mitigation plans; supporting Network Rail to develop ambitious plans to improve biodiversity across the rail estate, achieving ‘no net loss’ by 2024 and ‘net gain’ by 2035; and supporting the development of innovative technology to reduce the noise impact of the railway.