UIC Sustainability Award 2010 handed out at the 11th Sustainability Conference in Madrid

The second edition of the UIC Sustainability Awards Ceremony was held at 11th edition of the Sustainability Conference organised by the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the Spanish Railways Renfe in Madrid on 16 –17 June 2010.

The UIC Sustainability Awards were introduced on the 10th anniversary of the UIC Sustainability Conference that took place in London in September 2008. The aim of these Awards is to put the spotlight on and reward excellence to ground breaking projects and the significant efforts made within the rail sector to continuously improve its sustainability performance.

The independent international panel of judges was composed of:

• Martina Otto, Head of Policy Unit Energy Branch, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Peder Jensen, Acting Head of Air and Climate Change Programme and Head of Energy and Transport Group, European Environment Agency
• Holger Dalkmann, Programme Director Sustainable Transport and Climate Change, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)

The winners of the UIC Sustainability Award 2010 are:

First Prize: Swiss Railways, represented by Remy Chretien, for “SBB’s involvement in sustainable mobility: taking the next steps”. The project includes a strategy of responsible business by bringing sustainability thinking into the strategic development and organisation of SBB.

Panel’s appraisal: This strategy by SBB shows the broadest and most comprehensive approach and the overall activities and ambitious targets, taking into account the concept of responsible business to a new level. The transparent strategy includes the three dimensions of sustainable development, has clear objectives and includes quantified expectations for 2015 with a process-oriented approach integrated into the company structure. 2/2

Second Prize: DB Schenker Rail and Deustche Bahn Passenger Transport, represented by Petra Peres and Klaus Vestner, for “CO2-free products of Deutsche Bahn – Eco Plus and bahn.corporate Eco Plus” The project allows customers, both passenger and freight, to show their green credentials and demonstrate that DB behaves responsibly by choosing greener rail with verified calculations.

Panel’s appraisal: This project includes both and passenger transport and involves a wide range of business. It responds to the climate change combat with a high degree of transferability and increases the share of renewable energy in its energy mix with independent monitoring.

Third Prize: Norwegian Railways, represented by Andreas Hægstad and Jan Vetle Moen, for the project “Energy measurement and management in NSB”. NSB developed a tool that provides direct contact with the energy consumption onboard trains which allows detailed energy efficiency management. It also takes into account the human factor with the involvement of the employees, with for example internal awareness campaigns and cooperation with unions.

Panel’s appraisal: This tool enables a higher level of energy saving thanks to the detailed energy efficiency management. It combines data exchange in an innovative way, including a feedback system on energy meters as well as quantifying the expectations to the energy saving. The panel recognises the innovative nature of the project, which involves the human dimension next to technology.

Special Prize by the panel: Bulgarian Railways Infrastructure Manager, represented by Vasil Tomov, for “Railway activities on biodiversity conservation and protection of habitats”. An original project to handle stork nests in a multi-stakeholder approach.

Panel’s appraisal: This innovative and original approach deserves appreciation, especially in a year of biodiversity. The efforts carried out to find solutions lead to better collaboration between the different stakeholders, thus stressing the importance of cooperation and how media can be used positively to promote good results and strengthen the image of railways.

More information available at : www.uic-environment.org