CSX Named to Forbes Magazine List

CSX said it has been named to the inaugural Forbes Green Growth 50 list of companies that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions while growing profits.

The Class 1 railroad system based in Jacksonville, Florida, tied for the 39^th spot on thme list with Best Buy, Flowserve and JPMorgan Chase.

In a news release, CSX said it was the only railroad and only transportation company on the list.

Forbes said it created the list in cooperation with Morningstar division Sustainalytics “to screen American public companies according to their emissions reductions.”

The business magazine said CSX had 13 percent earnings growth and a 9 percent in GHG reduction during the period.

NS Gets A- From Environmental Group

Norfolk Southern has received an A- rating for leadership in corporate sustainability from global environmental non-profit CDP.

NS said in a news release that the rating reflects its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Thus far, NS improved locomotive fuel efficiency by 5 percent last year and thus far in 2021 has improved it by 3 percent. In 2020, NS said it cut carbon emissions intensity by 7 percent.

The Class 1 railroad is seeking to achieve a 42 percent reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas intensity by 2034 based on a baseline year of 2019.

CDP operates a global environmental disclosure platform that reviews companies on their climate-related performance and transparency.

CSX, CN Make A List for Environmental Leadership

CSX and Canadian National have received an A rating for leadership in environmental sustainability.

This includes moves to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and help develop a low-carbon economy.

The list is compiled by a non-profit group known as CDP and was based on answers to a questionnaire.

In a news release, CN said that since 1993 it has reduced its locomotive emission intensity by 43 percent, thus avoiding over 48 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

CDP awarded 200 companies an A rating of the 11,759 worldwide companies scored this year on their climate change efforts and disclosures.

NS Worker Receives AAR Environmental Award

A Norfolk Southern employee’s work to solve an environmental issue in Ohio has been honored by the Association of American Railroads.

Robert Scoble, engineer of environmental operations-safety and environmental, was named the recipient of AAR’s Professional Environmental Excellence Award.

In a news release, AAR said the honor is the highest in the industry for environmental professionals.

Scoble has worked at NS for seven years, with much of his work overseeing environmental conservation projects in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.

He surveys and inspects the facilities to ensure they comply with environmental laws and regulations as well as maintain best practices to improve in all areas.

A highlight of Scoble’s work involved resolving a problem with persistent storm water discharge violations at Moorman Yard in Bellevue.

The problem was that algae blooms were developing in the yard’s storm water ponds.

The solution created by Scoble was a sonification treatment system to kill the algae with sound. That enabled storm water ponds to return to their proper pH levels and enabled the carrier to avoid having to use algicides.

In the news release, AAR said this reduced by two-thirds NS’s expenses related to the storm water pond maintenance.

CSX Receives Award for Reducing Greenhouse Gases

CSX has received recognition for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry have awarded the Class 1 railroad a 2021 Climate Leadership Award.

A CSX news release said the carrier earned the award in the category for GHG reduction goal setting.

The release said award winners are recognized for their “exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in reducing carbon pollution and addressing climate change in operations and strategies.”

CSX had established a goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 37.3 percent between 2014 and 2029, which equates to an absolute emissions reduction of 2.5 percent annually.

CSX Named to Sustainability List

CSX was named this week for the 10^th consecutive year to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

In a news release, the carrier said the honor reflected its improvement in environmental, social, governance and economic scores.

The release said CSX is the only U.S. railroad to make the DJSI, and is ranked among the top 15 transportation and transportation infrastructure companies worldwide.

The DJSI North America index is a partnership between the Dow Jones Indices and RobescoSAM Sustainability Assessments, which tracks leading sustainability-driven companies

CN Named to Sustainability Index

Canadian National has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which tracks the stock performance of companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria.

It is the ninth consecutive year that CN has made the world list and 12^th consecutive year it has made the North American list.

In a news release, CN said it is the first Class I railroad in the world to set a science-based climate target.

“The company believes rail has tremendous potential to reduce the environmental impact of transportation and we are committed to playing a key role in the transition to a low-carbon economy,” said CN President and Chief Executive Officer JJ Ruest in a statement.

CSX Manager Receives AAR Environmental Award

A CSX manager has received the 2020 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award from the Association of American Railroads.

Corey Davis, the director of fuel strategy and utilization at CSX, was honored for his work that saw the railroad reduce fuel use by more than 8 percent between 2012 and 2018.

AAR said in a news release that the savings have reduced fuel use by 32 million gallons, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 332,000 tons in just one year.

Davis oversaw the integration of Trip Optimizer technology with positive train control interfaces, which have allowed the systems to automatically adjust to real-time changes in the network to optimize fuel efficiency. This has resulted in about 6 percent fuel savings, AAR officials said.

Initiatives implemented by Davis have reduced CSX’s fuel use by nearly 60,000 gallons per day.

He was also involved in developing CSX’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals that have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative, the gold standard for greenhouse gas goal-setting, AAR officials said.

It is the third consecutive year that a CSX employee has won the Chafee Award, which is named for a former senator from Rhode Island, who was a strong advocate of environmental causes and the eco-friendly benefits of rail transportation.

AAR said the award recognizes a railroad employee who has demonstrated the highest level of environmental stewardship and sustainability in the previous year.

Five other railroad employees were nominated for the award including Lynn Leibfried, assistant director of public projects at BNSF; Derek Maier, senior manager of equipment engineering at Amtrak; Jefferey Nantkes, manager of mechanical maintenance at Union Pacific;  Daniel Plonk of Norfolk Southern; and Anthony Roberts, director of fuel consumption at Kansas City Southern.

CSX Touts Reaching Emission Reduction Goals

CSX said this week it is the first North American railroad to have its new greenhouse gas emissions intensity goals set and approved by the Science Based Target Initiative.

In a news release, CSX said it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 37.3 percent between 2014 and 2030.

The carrier said it expects future transformational technology to facilitate this next level of reductions and is extensively investing in technologies and operational practices that drive maximum achievable efficiencies.

In 2018, CSX reduced emissions intensity by 6 percent to 8 percent, achieving an 8.1 percent emissions intensity reduction and reaching the goal set in 2012 two years ahead of schedule.

CSX said in the news release that it is the only U.S. Class I to have crossed the threshold of operating below one gallon of fuel-per-thousand gross ton miles.

The SBTi was described in the news release as independently reviewing corporate emission reduction targets in line with what climate scientists say is necessary to meet the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

CSX Lauded for Sustainability

CSX has been named the “most sustainable company” in the logistics industry by World Finance magazine.

The railroad said in a news release that it was recognized for its longstanding commitment to sustainability.

The carrier said its greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by more than 8 percent since 2011 and it has provided support to community initiatives through charitable investments and volunteer opportunities.