The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry have named CSX as a 2021 Climate Leadership Award recipient in recognition of the company’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
CSX earned the prestigious award in the category for GHG reduction goal setting, which has established the company as a sustainability leader not only among transportation companies, but across American industry.
“CSX is proud to receive this recognition, which is a testament to the commitment of our leadership, the knowledge and skill of our environmental team, and the daily implementation of our emission reduction strategies by railroaders across the company,” said Raghu Chatrathi, senior director of Public Safety, Health and Environment.
The Climate Leadership Awards were presented to CSX and 24 other organizations and individuals on October 14 at the 2021 Climate Leadership Conference.
The awards recognized “exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in reducing carbon pollution and addressing climate change in operations and strategies,” according to the Climate Leadership Conference organizers.
“Being a climate leader and advocate for ambitious action means taking the steps today that set up opportunity for the future,” said Nathaniel Keohane, president of C2ES. “The Climate Leadership Awards recognize only those that aim high and have plans in place to achieve their goals. CSX has shown exactly that kind of foresight and set an example among its peers.”
Specifically, C2ES and The Climate Registry cited CSX’s goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 37.3 percent from 2014 to 2029, which equates to an absolute emissions reduction of 2.5 percent annually. This goal is in alignment with the Paris Agreement and was validated by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) in 2020. Units of emissions intensity are metric tons of CO2 equivalents per million gross ton-miles (the movement of one ton of freight over one mile).
CSX has consistently set and exceeded ambitious GHG reduction goals through the implementation of locomotive fuel conservation technologies and the execution of efficient operating principals, which has made it the nation’s most fuel-efficient Class I railroad. The company’s sustainability strategy recognizes that the reduction of GHG emissions has a direct correlation with the operational efficiencies that drive business success.
