Wabtec Releases 2023 Sustainability Report

Wabtec Corporation on Nov. 6 released its 2023 Sustainability Report highlighting the company’s “vision and progress on key environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.”

According to Wabtec, the company’s strategy is to “contribute to a better, more sustainable world through its unique business offerings, leading technologies, and sustainable business practices, while creating value for customers, employees and other stakeholders.”

In this year’s report (download below), Wabtec disclosed, for the first time, its complete Scope 3 emissions, defined as “indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources not owned or controlled by the company but related to its activities.” To “gain clearer insight into the impacts of its Scope 3 emissions,” the company evaluated all 15 categories that could apply, using guidance developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to calculate Scope 3 emissions.

Wabtec also detailed several efforts and accomplishments to advance its ESG strategy and goals, including:

• “Its global in-service fleet of more than 23,000 locomotives collectively rode over 1.8 billion miles, and helped end-customers eliminate over 138 million metric tons of emissions by choosing rail over road transportation.
• “Wabtec cemented collaborative research and development agreements (CRADAs) with Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Sandia National Labs, three of the United States’ premier centers of excellence to lower emissions across the rail industry using hydrogen.
• “Wabtec reduced its operational GHG footprint by 35% from 2019 through 2022.
• “The Grove City plant implemented a solution to redirect energy from engine testing to address more than 40% of the site’s electrical usage, enough energy to power 1,000 average households in the U.S.
• “The remanufacturing program accounted for approximately 336 million pounds of end-of-life material being returned to our global remanufacturing facilities; 82% of these materials were made fit for reuse, and the remaining materials were recycled.”
• Significant year-over-year progress on all diversity, equity, and inclusion targets, such as an 11% increase in female representation globally.

“Sustainability is a collective journey,” said Wabtec Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer Lilian Leroux. “We believe that collaborating with the entire ecosystem, including internal teams, customers, end-users, suppliers, industry associations, communities, governments, and investors will empower us to succeed.”

“Wabtec’s recently established vision, ‘Revolutionize the way the world moves for future generations’ is deeply intertwined with our sustainability principles,” added Leroux. “This report demonstrates our dedication to expanding the possible and contributing to a better, more sustainable world through our unique business offerings, leading technologies and innovations, and our extraordinary global teams.”