The manufacturer declares that it will prepare Social Product Declarations (SPD) for its rolling stock.
In cooperation with EPD International, a provider of corporate sustainability data, the company has developed a questionnaire and calculated the social impact of the Masaccio HMU, the HTR 412 Blues. These are now being delivered in Italy.
In calculating the ethical life cycle, Hitachi Rail considers not only the end products, but also the suppliers’ performance in terms of legal compliance, employee safety, fair salaries, and gender equality. The SPD report on the Masaccio HMU includes an assessment of raw material suppliers (steel, copper, aluminium, etc.) from 23 countries. It is valid until 2028. According to Hitachi Rail, the SPD mechanism will make it possible to create an automated platform for managing data from more than 20,000 suppliers.
Analysis results of risks related to raw material suppliers: 1 (low), 2 (medium), 3 (high), 4 (very high) (enlarge). Source: HTR 412 Blues SPD report, 2023
To date, manufacturers have adopted carbon footprint reporting to demonstrate their corporate sustainability and compliance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which, among other things, has enabled them to obtain “green” financing from banks. In September, Hitachi Rail announced that it had become the first rolling stock manufacturer in the world to certify the compliance of its high-speed trains manufacture for the UK with the international carbon management standard PSA 2080. In 2021, Alstom and BBVA signed a green guarantee facility, and the Sinara-Transport Machines, Russia, placed green bonds for the manufacture of electric locomotives and EMUs.
In Europe, the inclusion of recycling rates for products and components in procurement conditions is also being discussed. The metro operator Hamburger Hochbahn required a recycling rate of 94% in a tender for the supply of metro trains announced for 2022. In Russia, for example, such parameters are not yet applicable, but TMH and Sinara-Transport Machines already report that their rolling stock is 98% recyclable.
