Sustainability
16. 12. 2021
Two of three ÖBB Rail Cargo Group warehouse locations in Austria are now climate-neutral. RCG records greenhouse gas emissions for the Lenzing and Vienna Freudenau locations, continuously reduces them and now offsets unavoidable emissions through climate protection projects.
Rail is per se the most sustainable means of transport. We, as RCG, save 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 every year in Europe through rail freight transport. A modal shift to rail is therefore essential to achieving the climate targets - an aspect that experts have long agreed on.
This, however, involves more than simply increasing the volume of goods on the railways. RCG is also focusing on climate protection and sustainability beyond the modal shift plan, for example, by already relying on 100 % green traction power in three countries in its own traction operations - Austria, Germany and now also the Czech Republic. RCG is now going one step further and is making two out of three warehouse locations in Austria climate neutral.
RCG has always taken all possible economic and technical measures upfront to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Offsetting - as is now the case in Lenzing and Vienna Freudenau - primarily concerns unavoidable emissions, since it is clear that no company in the world is able to reach zero emissions completely - at least not in a direct way. Offsetting, on the other hand, actually makes it possible to become climate neutral, as in exchange, investments are made in important climate protection projects resulting in offsetting the CO2 emissions.
Together with ClimatePartner we have calculated our "CCF" (= Corporate Carbon Footprint), i.e. the CO2 footprint of the locations. We take into account emission sources such as energy and heating, but also business travel, office supplies, waste and other relevant emissions generated at our locations. This CCF shows us clearly where CO2 can be reduced further. We update it regularly, so we have an overview of our reduction success as well as being able to identify further adjustment potential. Nevertheless, there are always residual emissions that we are currently unable to avoid. We consistently offset them by supporting a climate protection project from the ClimatePartner portfolio.
The Lenzing warehouse is climate-neutral through ÖBB Rail Cargo Group's support for wind energy projects in Bandirma, Turkey. This project has already offset over 29,000 kilograms of CO2.. The Vienna Freudenau warehouse has us investing in regional projects in the Karwendel Nature Park in Austria. More than 347,000 kilograms of CO2 have already been offset in this way. In addition, we support a certified forest protection project in Brazil in order to guarantee the climate neutrality of the warehouse location. Both locations in Lenzing and Vienna Freudenau now feature the "Climate Neutral" label, which is independently awarded by TÜV Austria. The offset is transparent and traceable via the ID number and tracking URL. This process is reviewed annually by TÜV Austria.
In addition to the avoidance and reduction of greenhouse gases, offsetting is an important step in holistic climate protection. The Paris Agreement target is no longer achievable without offsetting - the necessary technology is simply not yet available to reduce all emissions drastically enough. Investments in climate protection projects also help us to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as combating poverty or improving living conditions in emerging and developing countries.
The Lenzing Group supports the ecologically responsible production of specialty fibres from wood, a renewable raw material. Its innovative product and technology solutions make Lenzing a partner to global textile and non-wovens manufacturers and a driver of numerous new developments. The Lenzing Group's high-quality, biodegradable fibres form the basic material for a wide range of textile applications and are also ideally suited for use in hygiene products. RCG ensures goods transshipment, consignment and the loading and unloading of rail wagons, containers and trucks for Lenzing at the warehouse location. RCG and Lenzing share a long-standing partnership in the rail and warehouse logistics sectors, in addition to the pursuit of sustainable, green solutions.
ClimatePartner
Lenzing AG
Lenzing warehouse location
Vienna Freudenau warehouse location
