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Moving and improving the world
At Wabtec, we create solutions that move and improve the world. Living up to that challenge demands constant breakthroughs that facilitate the productivity, growth, and efficiency needed to usher in a better and more sustainable future for all.
| Sustainability at Wabtec |
| Innovating with Purpose |
| Responsible Operations |
| Creating Safe Environments |
| Empowering People & Communities |
| Compliance, Integrity & Risk Management |
| Report Archive |
Sustainability at Wabtec
OUR MISSION
Performance that drives progress. We create transportation solutions that move and improve the world.
SUSTAINABILITY VISION
Wabtec is committed to sustainable value creation. Our strategy is to contribute to a better, more sustainable world through our unique business offerings, leading technologies, and sustainable business practices. These help us capitalize on market opportunities and reduce safety and environmental risks, while creating value for our customers, employees, and other stakeholders.
SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
When it comes to corporate sustainability, Wabtec has a three-pronged approach that includes:
Innovating with purpose.
We are committed to developing responsible and sustainable products that minimize our impact on the planet.
Driving responsible operations.
We are committed to providing work environments and products that enable productive and efficient use of resources.
Empowering people and communities.
We are committed to driving an inclusive culture grounded in integrity, committed to the development of and investment in the communities where our teams live and work.
Sustainability Strategy
Prioritization and Management of ESG Issues
Beginning in 2020, Wabtec formally prioritized ESG issues through an ESG Materiality Assessment.2 Our ESG Materiality Assessment helped us identify the areas of our business where we could enable the most meaningful impact for our customers, communities, and the world. Through this process, we developed a comprehensive analysis of our enterprise strategies; risks assessments and anticipated future plans; Wabtec leadership insights; and the perspectives of our key stakeholders across the value chain (employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers and business partners, industry associations, and others). Focus areas were then ranked on the following criteria: likelihood of risks and opportunities to materialize, potential impact on Wabtec’s business, awareness level with our business stakeholders, and the degree to which Wabtec can affect meaningful change.
Following our initial identification, the highest priority issues were selected based on alignment with key external ESG standards, frameworks, and disclosures used by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the resource transformation sector, and the industrial machinery and goods industry. Focus areas were also prioritized against our stated commitments to the UN SDGs and Wabtec’s overlapping 2030 Sustainability Goals.
Our 2021 ESG Materiality Assessment identified the areas on the following page as having the highest relative priority to Wabtec and external stakeholders, aligned with our overall sustainability strategy and action plans.
These focus areas establish key dimensions of our sustainability strategy, and we hold ourselves accountable to achieving quantifiable results against each area. In 2021, we saw positive momentum in our sustainability journey, and we continue to analyze and update these topics periodically as the ESG landscape and our business continues to evolve. We are committed to demonstrating responsiveness to our employees, shareholders, and communities where we operate, as we strive for continuous improvement.
2“Materiality” refers to the list of sustainability topics, including economic, social, and environmental issues, about which Wabtec communicates because they have the highest relative priority for our stakeholders in furtherance of Wabtec’s sustainability goals. It should not be confused with materiality for financial reporting or regulatory purposes.
Material Topics
Alignment to Wabtec's Strategic Sustainability Principles
Our 2021 ESG Materiality Assessment identified the areas below as having the highest relative priority to Wabtec and external stakeholders, aligned with our overall sustainability strategy and action plans.
These focus areas establish key dimensions of our sustainability strategy, and we hold ourselves accountable to achieving quantifiable results against each area. In 2021, we saw positive momentum in our sustainability journey, and we continue to analyze and update these topics periodically as the ESG landscape and our business continues to evolve. We are committed to demonstrating responsiveness to our employees, shareholders, and communities where we operate, as we strive for continuous improvement.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Reducing GHG emissions across Wabtec’s value chain and helping Wabtec partners across their value chain reduce GHG emissions. This includes reducing major sources of indirect emissions during the procurement and processing of raw materials, during manufacturing and the operation of our facilities, and during product distribution and end use.
Sustainability Principles:
- Innovating with Purpose
- Driving Responsible Operations
2021 Results:
- 20% reduction in Greenhouse Gas Intensity (tons/$millions in sales)
- 23,000+ Wabtec locomotives globally traveled over 1.8 billion miles and helped our end-customers eliminate over 138 million metric tons of GHG emissions by choosing rail over truck transportation. That’s the equivalent of removing over 30 million cars from the roads or planting 160 million acres of trees
Energy & Renewables
Supporting policies and organizational partners that contribute to the renewable energy transition and the efficient use of natural resources. Contributing to the success of the energy transition by improving the energy efficiency of Wabtec’s products and operations. Integrating renewables into Wabtec’s products and operations and enabling the adoption of new and emerging renewable energy and resource management solutions.
Sustainability Principles:
- Innovating with Purpose
- Driving Responsible Operations
2021 Results:
- 14% reduction on energy intensity (MJ/$sales)
- Generated 1,233,000 kWh of electricity through on-site solar installations
Innovation & Technology
Capitalizing on opportunities related to new product advancements and innovations that include the adoption of emerging technology to help address key societal and transportation sector challenges. Developing a resilient business model capable of meeting societal expectations for continuous improvement.
Sustainability Principles:
- Innovating with Purpose
- Empowering People and Communities
2021 Results:
- 22.3% of revenue from eco-efficient product portfolio (an increase from our 2019 baseline of 20%)
- Exceeded our goal of 25,000 parts produced by 3D printers by 2025 (ahead of schedule)
- Successfully piloted the FLXdrive™, our battery electric locomotive, achieving more than 11% fuel savings for an entire train
Business Ethics & Compliance
Upholding ethics and integrity in Wabtec’s business by ensuring transparency in financial practices. Complying with applicable national and local laws and regulations by promoting practices and policies that encourage reporting instances of noncompliance and by implementing corrective actions that prevent recurrence. Preventing bribery, corruption, and anti-competitive behavior. Promoting ethics and compliance throughout Wabtec’s value chain, especially among suppliers.
Sustainability Principles:
- Driving Responsible Operations
- Empowering People and Communities
2021 Results:
- Audited 21% of suppliers in high-risk countries, with suppliers implementing 81 corrective actions
- 232 concerns investigated through Speak Up, Wabtec!, our confidential program for employees to identify potential policy or compliance issues. Corrective action taken for all confirmed allegations
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
Investing in cybersecurity measures and adapting to business risks presented by technology and digitization. Protecting Wabtec’s proprietary information and intellectual property. Ensuring the responsible management and use of data, including data from customers, employees, and suppliers. Protecting data collected by Wabtec products.
Sustainability Principles:
- Innovating with Purpose
2021 Results:
- Continuing to evaluate risks presented by emerging technology and adopt measures to help protect Wabtec systems and data belonging to Wabtec, customers, employees and suppliers
United Nations Global Compact
Wabtec recently joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, which is an initiative that promotes universal sustainability principles.
With participation in this program, we demonstrate our existing and ongoing commitment to these values, as evidenced by our corporate policies and goals. Wabtec will continue to include the UN Global Compact principles as part of our strategy, culture, and operations and engage in collaborative projects that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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LEADING THE WAY IN RAIL
Lending our Expertise
Acting on our Sustainability strategy requires engagement with stakeholders and thought leaders outside of our organizational envelope. As a leading player in both the passenger and freight rail sectors and a storied company with more than 150 years of experience driving innovation, we believe that Wabtec, has an obligation to engage in dialogue and drive collaboration. Below is a brief snapshot of how we, as an enterprise, are stepping into leadership and concurrently staying close to industry thought leaders that will help us to advance.
Engaging in Conversation
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Brazil
Developing the Railway Technology Excellence Center
Wabtec is working alongside academic institutions and industry partners, to support the Ministry of Infrastructure (MINFRA) as they work to define the necessary infrastructure (equipment, laboratories, tools, etc.) for the Railway Technology Excellence Center , an innovation center designed to drive research and development for the Brazilian rail sector.
China
Reshaping Fleet Service & Maintenance Operations
Wabtec has served China’s Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR), the highest railway in the world, for 15 years. QTR has 78 NJ2 locomotives that are covered a by multi-year Master Service Agreement (MSA). Under this MSA, Wabtec is responsible for the overall operation of the fleet, and provides holistic maintenance and services, which eliminates the customer's need to invest in maintenance and shop facilities. This is a unique and innovative service model in the Chinese rail industry, where traditionally, operators manage service and maintenance processes on their own.
This arrangement has been a game changer. Not only does it provide reliable fleet operation, but it also adds value through improved maintenance quality processes, shop operation expertise, vendor managed parts and materials, troubleshooting capabilities, and more. China Railways recognizes the cost-effectiveness and efficiencies this service model provides and hopes to adopt it across more of its expansive rail network.
Wabtec's team in China is working closely with operators and authorities to explore these opportunities in an effort to achieve optimal railway operations, and ultimately to reshape how the Chinese rail industry manages its operations and services.
Europe
Founding Member of ERJU
In 2021, Wabtec officially joined Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU) as a founding member. A follow-up to the Shift2Rail initiative, ERJU is a partnership between Europe’s major railway stakeholders that aims to create a more modern and sustainable European railway system.
"This is an important milestone for the entire European railway ecosystem and all Wabtec teams are proud to be part of this program. Wabtec has a strong presence in Europe, with nearly 9000 employees. We file patents and develop high-tech products every day here. As such we believe that we can help the attractiveness of rail in Europe and contribute to the European target of CO2 emission reduction.” - Paolo Pagliero, Group Vice President, Engineering for Wabtec Transit
India
Accelerating the Pace of Electrification
The National Rail Plan (NRP) of the Indian Railways establishes an aggressive goal to become a net-zero carbon footprint operator by 2030. Electrification of the rail network and reliance on generation of solar energy are among the major strategies that will be used to achieve this goal. A supplier of diesel-electric locomotives that are made in India, Wabtec is also concurrently working with the Indian Railways accelerate the pace of electrification. Our plants in Baddhi and Hosur directly supply components for electric locomotives, namely the E70 brake system. In support of the NRP, high reach pantographs designed for the dedicated Freight Corridors, the next generation computer-controlled brake panel system and a potential battery electric locomotive strategy will all support the IR’s strategic plan.
United States
Decarbonizing Freight Rail Transportation
To accelerate the transition to cleaner technology in the rail sector, Wabtec seeks strategic partnership along its value chain that allow the company to leverage its internal capacity and strengths most effectively.