Commitments
Sustainable mobility

Commitments
With rapidly evolving demographics and consequent massive urbanisation, transport systems will have to be redesigned to meet the increasing demand for mobility while preserving the environment. It is our mission to accompany their transition towards sustainable transport systems by designing and delivering innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions.
“Carbon neutrality in the mobility sector is achievable; all transport systems need to be reinvented and transformed to rise to this challenge and we look forward to being at the forefront of this transition.”
The booming demand for urban mobility is leading to a significant increase of all transport modes. As a consequence, the risk of a further growing pollution and subsequent increase in environmental and health challenges has never been higher.
Curbing worldwide emissions from transport will be key in reducing our collective environmental footprint.
That's why we are fully committed to reducing the carbon footprint of transport solutions, as well as to adopting climate-resilient and low-carbon strategies that will enable the transition to a truly sustainable global transport system.
The implication of the Paris Agreement is clear: to limit the rise in temperature to +2°C by the end of the century, carbon neutrality must be achieved by 2050.
Alstom is committed to supporting carbon neutrality in transport and has adopted a “Climate and energy transition strategy” along three lines:
placing energy-efficient electrical rail solutions at the heart of its portfolio;
enabling the transition to sustainable mobility solutions;
decarbonising its operations.
Alstom’s eco-design policy consists of continuously improving the sustainability performance of its solutions by monitoring and reducing their environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycles. The priorities set in Alstom’s eco-design policy focus on : energy efficiency of rail transport systems; use of clean, recyclable, and natural materials; reduction of noise and vibrations; reduction of air emissions; and end-of-life management of products, particularly in maintenance activities.
On the production side, lifecycle assessments help to identify significant environmental aspects and improvement areas and assist in the making of technical choices. On the customer side, the environmental product declarations (EPDs) provide a detailed picture of the impact of various Alstom solutions.
Alstom’s state-of-the-art light rail vehicle (LRV), the Citadis X05, is being pioneered as a public transport solution in Sydney, Australia.
Its impact on the environment will be minimised through increased energy efficiency achieved by the use of electrical braking, permanent magnet motors, LED lights, sensor-based air-conditioning and the use of water-based paints and non-hazardous materials for construction. The energy requirements have been reduced by more than 15% and each vehicle is 99% recyclable at the end of its lifespan (30 years).
In line with its commitment to facilitate a global transition to a low-carbon transport system, Alstom has pioneered several sustainable mobility solutions.
Our commitment to fighting climate change extends beyond the sphere of its own solutions. Alstom has teamed up with a number of leading bodies working to promote corporate involvement in overall sustainable development.
In 2008, Alstom joined the United Nations’ Global Compact organisation, designed to encourage companies to commit to a set of key values spanning human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and ethics in business practices.
Alstom has signed the Sustainable Development Charter drawn up by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).
In 2014, Alstom confirmed its support to the International Union of Railways (UIC) Low Carbon Rail Transport Challenge, “a commitment to deliver railway solutions which are more energy efficient and attractive such as high performance electrical, diesel and hybrid trains, smart railway systems and modernisation services”.
As a member of the Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) and an active participant in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), Alstom is a key contributor to various international initiatives that aim to combat climate change in transport and reach the +2°C target set by the Paris Climate Agreement. It is a key member of the SLoCaT Partnership on Sustainable Transport - a multi-stakeholder partnership of over 90 organizations - which highlights the importance of low carbon transport in climate negotiations at the regional, national and transnational levels.
Finally, Alstom is a proud founding member of the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance (TDA). Officially launched in May 2018, the TDA is a coalition of companies, cities and countries aiming to catalyse the accelerated decarbonisation of the transport sector.
“We need partnerships […] to allow this decarbonised hydrogen to emerge. As part of a broader energy policy, we know that hydrogen can play a key role in clean energy storage.”
Alstom’s participation to the One Planet Summit in Paris in December 2017, outlined the company’s long-term strategy regarding transport decarbonisation, and emphasised the essential role of hydrogen in clean energy storage.
Alstom is a highly active member of the Hydrogen Council, which was launched at the World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos and aims to accelerate investment in the development and commercialization of the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors. As part of its “sustainable pathway for the global energy transition”, the Council has established that 10% of trains sold for non-electrified railways could be powered by hydrogen by 2030.
We are also teaming up with leading research organisations to share scientific knowledge and research initiatives. This is another vivid illustration of Alstom’s contribution to combating climate change and facilitating the shift to sustainable mobility.
Download the list of partnerships with universities
Our monetary contributions to international and French trade-associations amount to 1,104,353 euros for fiscal year 2017/18. Contributions to political parties and campaigns are forbidden by the Group E&C instructions.