Alstom puts its best foot forward in cutting carbon emissions

One of the Midlands largest employers has won the support and commitment of its workforce to go green, which has resulted in the UKs leading engineering company being recognised for its carbon reduction achievements with a world-class accreditation.

Alstom, a global leader in rail transport, power generation and power transmission, has been awarded the CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme) accreditation by Achilles, in recognition of its commitment to measure, manage and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions whilst striving to operate in a carbon friendly way.

Having already achieved an impressive 19 per cent relative reduction in its CO2 emissions over the last three years, Alstom is fully committed to an agreed carbon reduction plan and aims to reduce emissions by a further 3 per cent in 2012.

In addition, Alstom is encouraging employees across its operations in Stafford, Rugby and Ashby-de-la-Zouch to take on board the carbon cutting initiatives in place and implement similar techniques at home, allowing them to make a positive change to both their home and work environments. With workplace initiatives such as the annual Environment Week, Alstom hopes to promote take-home tips for greener living that can help employees reduce their personal carbon footprint too.

Steve Burgin, Country President for Alstom UK, said:

Were very pleased to have achieved this highly regarded CEMARS accreditation, which is a genuine acknowledgment of Alstoms ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. The CEMARS accreditation is perfectly aligned to our business philosophy; doing all that we can to help the UK move towards a cleaner, greener power and rail transport infrastructure.

Im delighted that our employees have embraced our environment policies and its thanks to their support that weve been able to achieve such positive results so far. Most importantly, raising awareness will hopefully encourage our people to take steps towards greener living at home too.

For me, this is the most rewarding part of achieving the CEMARS certification. If the team at Alstom can kick-start a wider change in behaviour and encourage others to be more responsible about their own carbon footprint, together we can make a significant change in the local community.

Lucy dArville, Director of Achilles Carbon Reduction Programme, added:

Alstom has proven it is a global leader in carbon reduction by achieving CEMARS certification. As the UK seeks an ambitious 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, we encourage organisations to follow Alstoms lead.

In order to achieve CEMARS certification, Alstom was required to accurately measure its carbon footprint and emission sources, undergo an independent verification of a carbon reduction plan and successfully complete an external audit. Alstom has achieved its CEMARS accreditation for its operational footprint from 2007 to 2010. The accreditation is valid for 16 months and Alstom will now strive to retain the accredited status for the following year and beyond.