Kansas City Southern unveils 2017 sustainability report

Kansas City Southern has published its 2017 sustainability report, which highlights how the company implements "responsible business practices."

The report follows the Global Reporting Initiative's latest standards for disclosing governance, economic, social and environmental topics. The standards provide for the disclosure of measurable data and specific information related to sustainability.

For the 2017 report, KCS increased its reporting of stakeholder priority material topics, company officials said in a press release.

"We believe that responsible business practices are essential to supporting the KCS vision, values and culture, as well as building and maintaining accountability, trust and strong relationships with our stakeholders," said KCS President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Ottensmeyer.

The report's highlights include:
• strategic advantages of the KCS cross-border rail network and Rail Unified Cargo Processing Center, which helped to reduce delays and enhance security at the U.S.-Mexico border;
• creation of a new health, safety and environmental group to enhance workplace safety and health;
• positive train control implementation progress;
• a new security operations center dedicated to the security of KCS freight, people and facilities in Mexico;
• a decrease in employee attrition rate to 6.6 percent;
• an increase in employee training hours;
• an increase in fuel consumption reduction target by 4 million gallons;
• reduction of energy intensity ratio and water consumption; and
• inclusion of a new biodiversity and land management section.