KCS reports sustainability efforts in 2016

Kansas City Southern yesterday released its 2016 sustainability report, which highlights the company's "commitment to sustainable operations and community engagement."

Titled "For the Long Haul: Delivering Prosperity, Valuing People, Protecting the Planet," the report outlines how the company delivered financial results to its customers and investors; demonstrated a commitment to safety; and took steps to protect the environment.

"While KCS is committed to creating maximum value for our stockholders, we also fully understand that to achieve consistent and sustainable financial success, we must be equally committed to protecting and enhancing the multiple environments in which we operate," said KCS President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Ottensmeyer in a press release.

KCS founder Arthur Stillwell's vision for the railroad transcended the commercial aspects of doing business, Ottensmeyer added.

"[The vision] included the efficient design of communities, quality schools, libraries, hospitals, wide avenues, abundant green spaces and parks all very much aligned with the sustainability concepts of today," he said.

According to the report, KCS in 2016:
• strengthened partnerships with strategic development investments in the United States and Mexico;
• found that 86 percent of management employees in the United States and Mexico said they were satisfied working for KCS;
• installed more than one-third of the required Positive Train Control (PTC) technology – remaining on track to meet the 2018 goal;
• increased Operation Lifesaver/Alto Total public safety activities in the U.S. and Mexico;
• decreased employee injury frequency rate by 18 percent in the United States and four percent in Mexico;
• reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 32,000 metric tons; and
• created a fuel conservation team to identify opportunities and trends to further reduce fuel consumption.

KCS' sustainability report follows Global Reporting Initiative standards for disclosing governance, economic, social and environmental topics. These standards provide for the disclosure of measurable data and specific information related to sustainability. KCS also surveyed stakeholders to determine sustainability topic priorities, all of which were addressed in the report.