International rating platform EcoVadis has awarded the Austrian freight rail operator ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) ‘gold’ for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the third consecutive time.

EcoVadis evaluates more than a hundred thousand companies in the areas of the environment, labour and human rights and sustainable procurement. The RCG’s gold rating puts it in the top one percent of rail freight companies assessed by EcoVadis.

RCG gained especially high scores in the areas of the environment and labour and human rights, in which it goes beyond legal obligations. It also received high scores for its participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), ISO 14001 certification, conversion to quiet brake blocks, its training programmes, health measures for employees and provision for work-life balance.

EcoVadis has recently added a carbon scorecard to its assessment, which evaluates management systems’ impact on climate change. In this area, RCG achieved the second-best ‘Advanced’ rating, due to the scope of its greenhouse gas management systems, reporting in accordance with global standards and verification of data by third parties.

The RCG sees the award as “motivating” and as good news for itself, the environment and its customers, who place increasing importance on socially and environmentally responsibility. Assessments like those carried out by EcoVadis are also used more and more by regulatory bodies and in procurement processes.

The company says that its efforts in the areas of environment and corporate social responsibility are also aimed at generating direct benefits for customers.

RCG CEO Clemens Först sees the award as both recognition and an incentive, saying, “The Rail Cargo Group is the sustainable logistics backbone of the European economy. That is why we are investing in the future viability of rail freight transport. In addition to greater efficiency and flexibility, the aim is above all to simplify access to the rail system and thus attract new customer groups.”