Hitachi Rail launched its fifth annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report at the biannual global rail conference, InnoTrans, in Berlin. Headline findings in the report include a notable reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the development of sustainable and ethical framework certificates, and progress in female representation.
Hitachi Rail achieved a 14% reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, almost three times its target for FY23 (5%). This success has been driven both by the increasing use of energy from renewable sources including solar energy, and through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This progress is complemented by the business continuously seeking to harness the power of digital to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption across its practices.
In FY23, Hitachi Rail has also progressed towards a circular business model and sought to build framework infrastructure to help consistently support sustainable and ethical practices. The business obtained the first ever BSI PAS 2080 certification for the HS2 UK train, designed to manage carbon across the full life cycle of the train from its manufacture to its recyclability. The certificate, for example, requires suppliers to provide aluminum made with renewable energy.
Hitachi Rail also subsequently developed the industry’s first Sustainable Product Declaration (SPD) for the Masaccio Train, enabling it to track the ethical lifecycle of the product.
For sustainable growth and development, it is crucial to partner and work closely with our value chain. Through the EcoVadis rating platform – a solution that rates supplier’s sustainability – Hitachi Rail was also able to end the financial year with over 952 suppliers registered in its tracking platform, an increase of 142 on the year before.
In FY23, Hitachi Rail hired over 1,500 new employees and achieved an increase in female representation in senior positions, with a 7% increase at the executive level and a 10% increase in middle management. In FY23, the business also obtained the ISO 30415 Certification on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Underlining the company’s commitment to its employees lifelong learning, the business increased training hours globally by an average of 21%, including a 10% increase in hours of training dedicated to human rights.
“The publication of our FY23 ESG Report marks a year of significant progress in encompassing sustainable business practices at the heart of our delivery.
In the last financial year, we have achieved remarkable results, cutting our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by almost three times our target (14 vs 5%). We have also taken substantial steps towards including social aspects in our product assessment, building first-of-their-kind frameworks for the rail sector to promote sustainable and ethical business practices.
Looking forward, the business continues evolve at pace, having recently welcomed 9,000 new colleagues following the acquisition of Thales GTS, and with a renewed impetus for innovation through digitalization and sustainability,” Dr. Maiya Shibasaki, Hitachi Rail’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief DE&I Officer, said.
Hitachi Rail is committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its key sites by 2030 and net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
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