Norfolk Southern honored for carbon reduction

The American Carbon Registry has presented Norfolk Southern its Corporate Excellence award for "making a public commitment to reducing CO2 emissions 10% below 2009 levels by 2014 and for reaching nearly 40%t of that five-year goal in the first year," the railroad announced Tuesday.

ACR said, “The reductions were achieved through improvements in locomotive fuel efficiency, increased energy efficiency of buildings and railroad facilities, and operating efficiencies that allowed the company to move higher volumes of freight over its 22-state network. In addition to in-house emission reduction activities, in 2011 Norfolk Southern launched Trees and Trains, a $5.6 million partnership with ACR member GreenTrees to restore 10,000 acres in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley by planting six million hardwoods & cottonwoods.”

“We appreciate ACR’s recognition of our environmental stewardship,” said Blair Wimbush, NS vice president real estate and corporate sustainability officer. “Our collaboration with GreenTrees will foster revitalization of the Mississippi Delta’s environmental health and generate economic benefits for a region long served by Norfolk Southern. Our company’s 180-year history tends to give us a long-term perspective, and this kind of sustainable, lasting initiative is exactly what we like to do.”