The rail industry is taking significant strides to reduce its carbon footprint. The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is at the forefront of this movement, focusing on the challenging, yet critical, area of supply chain decarbonisation.
Approximately half of the rail industry’s greenhouse gas emissions stem from its complex value chain. By understanding these emissions and how they can be reduced, the industry can accelerate its progress towards net-zero goals. However, challenges such as data availability and confidentiality have hindered comprehensive assessments.
RSSB’s research has identified key carbon hotspots within the rail supply chain. These include materials like concrete and steel, as well as rolling stock manufacture and maintenance. To address these challenges, RSSB has developed a suite of outputs that provides a standardised framework for collecting supply chain data across the sector.
These will enable rail organisations to:
- Optimise Data Flow: Efficiently transfer and store supply chain carbon data.
- Advance Carbon Accounting: Transition from spend-based data to activity data to improve accuracy.
- Identify Mitigation Opportunities: Discover cost-effective strategies to reduce supply chain carbon emissions.
- Overcome Barriers: Address key challenges hindering decarbonisation efforts.
RSSB remains committed to supporting the sector’s journey towards a low-carbon future. By working together, rail organisations and their supply chain partners can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future.
Ben Warren, emissions principal at RSSB, said: “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the supply chain is a complex challenge for the whole economy, not just rail. This research project improved our understanding of the emissions from the supply chain. The guidance we have put together builds on this understanding and helps rail suppliers to focus attention on the major emission hotspots. Collecting better data means you can more accurately calculate emissions. This will empower you to make informed decisions and reduce the emissions associated with your work.”
Learn more at: https://www.rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue/CatalogueItem/T1228
Image credit: istockphoto.com/LuPa Creative
