Amtrak’s FY12018 Sustainability Report revealed the company met each of its energy, fuel, recycling and emissions targets with the help of more than 20,000 employees.
“Sustainability is becoming a consistent component in Amtrak’s projects, operations and strategic plans, which is quickly positioning the company toward being an industry leader,” said Amtrak President/CEO Richard Anderson. “This report reflects how we incorporate environmental, financial and social sustainability considerations into our decision-making processes.”
This year’s report is a newly designed with an interactive online experience and features two new and unique collaborations with Amtrak: People for Urban Progress (PUP) and No Kings Collective (NKC). The PUP partnership was a significant shift for rethinking how Amtrak diverts waste at the end of its useful life, furthering the goal of a 20 percent recycling rate by 2020. They launched the most recent batch on June 25; to date, the PUP team has processed over one-ton of Acela leather.
The partnership with NKC involved a large-scale, customized mural, featuring a bold interpretation of the landscapes found throughout Amtrak’s national network. Amtrak worked with NKC to provide creative direction throughout the report and across social media channels to emphasize the importance of sustainability at Amtrak. The collaboration with NKC was particularly meaningful because it helped emphasize one of Amtrak’s social sustainability goals: contract up to 10 percent of Amtrak’s total annual spend with diverse suppliers.
Highlights from the report include:
· Successful recycling and waste diversion efforts, which resulted in 194 tons of material diverted from landfills;
· Greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 17 percent over Amtrak’s 2010 baseline;
· $52 million investment in stations upgrades for greater accessibility and mobility; and
· $2 million in energy savings through smart resource management.
A special Q & A with Stephen Gardner, senior executive vice president and Chief Operating and Commercial Officer, discusses Amtrak’s operations and planning as they pertain to sustainability
The report features a new look with interactive functionality, and it’s part of a larger communication strategy designed to deliver salient sustainability content across Amtrak’s various platforms throughout the year in addition to this year-end review.
More information about Amtrak’s approach to sustainability is available on Amtrak’s website.
