US railway company Kansas City Southern announced today a new commitment, pledging to set a science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction target in a letter submitted to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). KCS stated that its target will align with what climate scientists say is needed to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

KCS President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick J. Ottensmeyer said:

“Kansas City Southern has long recognized the important role that rail plays in lowering overall transportation emissions. Our pledge to issue a science-based target reinforces our commitment to further improving fuel efficiency and lowering emissions in support of a more sustainable North American supply chain.”

SBTi was formed as a collaboration between CDP, World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), with the goal to establish science-based environmental target setting as a standard corporate practice. Achieving approval of targets by SBTi is a significant milestone for companies’ sustainability efforts.

Over 1,100 companies globally have pledged to align their decarbonization plans with climate science by adopting science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets, and slightly over 550 companies have had their targets approved by SBTi.