Revisiting the Sustainable Rail Blueprint: Milestones, member adoption, and more

Welcome to our first podcast of 2025! With us today is Stacey Head, our Sustainability Manager. She’ll be speaking with us about some of the initiatives the Sustainable Rail Blueprint has prompted in its first year, how RSSB supports members to embed the Blueprint, and what the future holds for it.

Find out more at https://www.rssb.co.uk/sustainability

Transcript

Host (Sarah Shooter) [00.18]: Welcome to our first podcast of 2025. We hope you enjoyed the holiday season! And we also hope, as our Chair Mike Brown said in his festive episode, that you're looking ahead with excitement about what the industry has in store this year.

And where better to start 2025 than with sustainability? Like you, we’re committed to ensuring that the rail industry is designed and managed in ways that are environmentally responsible, economically viable, and socially beneficial. Key to that objective is the Sustainable Rail Blueprint, industry's framework for realising sustainable rail. And now that the Blueprint has celebrated its first birthday, we want to share with you some updates and successes from its first 12 months.

So, with us today is Stacey Head, our Sustainability Manager. She’ll be speaking with us about some of the initiatives the Sustainable Rail Blueprint has prompted, how RSSB supports members to embed the Blueprint, and what the future holds for it.

Hi, Stacey, and thank you for joining us today.

Stacey Head [01.26]: Hi, Sarah, thank you for having me! 

Host [01.28]: First of all, I'd like to say a big congratulations on the first birthday of the Sustainable Rail Blueprint! Broadly, how has the first year of the Blueprint been?

Stacey [01.40]: Thank you! Yeah, it's been a really exciting first year for the Blueprint. 

The Blueprint was created to be the industry-wide framework for realising sustainable rail, acting as guidance to align all parts of the rail industry around a unified vision. To do this, the Blueprint covers 11 sustainable rail topics, which fall across the key categories of emissions, natural environment, and social sustainability, while also setting out common solutions, which are the primary enablers of sustainable rail. It also highlights the key roles that different types of rail organisations can play to contribute to delivering on the industry’s sustainability goals and ambitions.

Since its launch in November 2023, we're proud of how it has been received and the impact it has driven. We have seen alignment across many parts of the industry, with the Blueprint being a key component in how organisations develop their strategic priorities and plans for the future. We have also heard many inspiring stories from industry and our many working groups. Members have also been sharing how they are driving sustainability improvements, which all contribute to delivering the Blueprint. 

The Blueprint was also highly commended for cross-industry partnership at the Railway Innovation Awards in June, recognising the collaborative approach [that] has been a key principle throughout the development and implementation of the Blueprint.

Host [02.59]: And more specifically, what has the Blueprint helped us initiate this past year?

Stacey [03.05]: The Blueprint has been a catalyst for a lot of different initiatives throughout the last year. Our key focus has turned from developing the strategy to embedding and delivering the Blueprint across the industry.

Increasing the knowledge of sustainability issues within rail business is essential to building a culture for sustainability and delivering the goals set out in the Blueprint.

At RSSB, we offer technical support to the industry across topics like carbon, air quality, climate resilience, and social sustainability, which is all aligned to delivering the Blueprint.

We've also been focused on further developing our sustainability training offer, in addition to the Carbon Literacy for Rail training that we already offer.

We have recently launched our new 'Realising Sustainable Rail E-learning', which is an introductory course we created for everyone working across the rail industry,

The e-learning focuses on key sustainability topics and the roles we can all play in delivering a more sustainable railway. The e-learning is free to complete through RSSB’s platforms and is also available for organisations to embed within their own internal learning platforms free of charge.

We have also begun to develop a Sustainable Rail Leadership Course, which aims to equip current and future leaders within the rail industry to better understand why sustainability is a key business opportunity and the part they play in championing it across their organisations. 

It is also essential that we are able to monitor and report the industry’s progress against the Sustainable Rail Blueprint, providing insights and benchmarking to support action.

Our Sustainable Insights project is well underway. We’ve published guidance on how the industry can measure performance in a consistent way and have been working with industry to inform the development of our new reporting tool, which will be the industry’s new home for sustainability data reporting.

Our Sustainability Maturity Tool went live earlier this year, which is a self-assessment framework designed to help organisations gain a better understanding of how they perform across all sustainability topics, as well as plan for improvements and set targets. 

The Sustainability Maturity Tool is already being used by a wide range of organisations to benchmark their performance and inform their strategic priorities as part of the process of developing their sustainability strategies. We are also planning an upgrade in the future, which is based on feedback we have received.

So, it has been a really, really busy year at RSSB! But the Blueprint has also been used to inform the Department for Transport’s annual business planning process for passenger train operators. And the Office of Rail and Road has been using the outputs of our work to inform their governance for Network Rail, further making sustainability core to what is expected of different parts of the industry.  

In addition, a project in collaboration with RSSB’s Standards team is currently underway to look at ways to standardise sustainable design of infrastructure and rolling stock across the industry.

Overall, the Blueprint is what guides all of the support and technical work we deliver for our members on sustainability. 

Host [06.06]: What about our members? What have we seen from them in terms of adopting the Blueprint and better embedding sustainability?

Stacey [06.13]: The Blueprint has been taken up and adopted in multiple ways across industry plans and processes. This alignment ensures the industry is moving in a common direction on sustainability. And we have seen significant alignment towards the Blueprint within various organisations' sustainability strategies. 

For instance, Southeastern's sustainability strategy is a great case study of how the Blueprint can be used as the basis of an organisation’s strategy while being adjusted to solely align with Southeastern and their strategic targets. They have adopted the key themes emissions, natural environment, and social sustainability, while defining targets relevant to their own organisational structure, and have set out how they are delivering across all 11 goals. For example, their plan for the natural environment is structured according to the Blueprint's goals of 'Protect and conserve water, zero waste, prepared for a changing climate, and railway for nature'. They have updates, for example, through protect and conserve water, where they have installed 116 new water meters. Under zero waste, they have diverted 99% of waste from landfill. Preparing for a changing climate, they have run their first weather resilience conference to raise awareness for the impacts of climate change. And they have developed their railway for nature plan, showing really good progress on their sustainability strategy. 

Similarly, ScotRail has published their Climate Action Plan, which sets out the Blueprint as a key influence and refers to a number of RSSB’s sustainability tools and services as a part of their delivery plan. 

We are supporting many of our members as they refresh or develop new sustainability strategies, which will be published through 2025 and beyond. Greater Anglia, for example, are working to update their sustainability strategy with the Sustainable Rail Blueprint and intend to use the Sustainability Maturity Tool each year to measure and monitor their progress across all areas.

Host [08.11]: Could you also tell our listeners how we at RSSB support our members to embed the Blueprint in their operations?

Stacey [08.18]: Absolutely. We support our members through various initiatives aligned to the Blueprint to deliver an even more sustainable railway.

Our working group structure brings together industry leads across different sustainability topics to share best practices, upskill, and also drive collaboration. We oversee groups of senior leaders as well as those with technical responsibilities in their organisations across topics like decarbonisation, natural value, and social sustainability. We also run the Sustainable Rail Forum, which we use to help with any challenges and inform the industry of any great real-world best practices. 

We also have a range of tools, services, and guidance ready for members to pick up and use. As mentioned before, this includes the Realising Sustainable Rail e-learning and the Sustainability Maturity Tool.

The RSSB Sustainable Development team is always on hand to assist, support, and provide technical expertise. So, please feel free to contact us, and we can point you in the right direction of our relevant working groups, tools, and guidance, as well as connecting you with our technical experts.

Host [09.23]: Thanks, Stacey. I also understand the Blueprint has recently been shortlisted for an award. Can you tell us about that and what it means? 

Stacey [09.32]: Of course. We are all really excited because the blueprint has been shortlisted for an edie Award, under 'ESG Strategy of the Year', which is a new award for 2025. We have been nominated alongside Southeastern railway for their sustainability strategy, which is great recognition for our industry!

Edie is a leading authority on sustainability business, and the edie Awards is like the Oscars of the sustainability industry. The awards are open to all sectors, which celebrates individuals, projects, and partnerships for bold and brilliant climate leadership. We are delighted for the Sustainable Rail Blueprint to have been recognised in this way and for the opportunity to be shortlisted.  

Host [10.13]: Amazing! Big congrats to the team for that, and I wish them good luck for the ceremony in March 2025. Now, looking ahead a little, some parts of rail industry will start to see significant change as we head towards nationalisation. Will the Sustainable Rail Blueprint remain relevant in that landscape?

Stacey [10.34]: Thank you for your well wishes. And yes, to answer your question, sustainability remains a key objective for the rail industry, regardless of any industry changes. The Blueprint continues to be the industry-wide plan for delivering an even more sustainable railway, and the evolving industry will present new opportunities to embed the Blueprint within core industry structures and processes. 

Sustainability is more than just a buzzword; it is crucial in every industry for the long-term viability of our planet. While rail is already the most sustainable form of long-distance transportation, it is key that we don't become complacent and we address key sustainability challenges and continue to improve our credentials. This means adopting practices that reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote social responsibility. Industry action on sustainability will reduce future risks, protect and enhance rail’s reputation, and attract future workforce and customers. It will deliver savings and avoid future costs.

By following the clear strategic direction outlined in the Blueprint, our industry can thrive and make a significant contribution to national and international sustainability efforts.

Moreover, the Blueprint will continue to enable rail organisations to navigate the complexities of sustainability by providing the industry with a clear framework and common set of goals. Even as the rail industry evolves with new innovations, market demands, and governance structures, the Blueprint serves as a reference point, helping to maintain consistency and integrity in rail’s approach to sustainability.

In conclusion, the importance of sustainability to the future of rail cannot be overstated, and the Blueprint plays a pivotal role in maintaining a clear, consistent focus for the rail sector. 

Host [12.23]: That’s great. Thanks, Stacey. And in general, what’s next for the Blueprint? How will we keep it up to date and preserve the value it's bringing?

Stacey [12.32]: We will continue to work on embedding the Blueprint throughout 2025, ensuring that our members are fully equipped to integrate its principles into their operations. This includes ongoing support and the provision of resources tailored to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

As the rail sector continues to innovate and adapt to new challenges, we recognise the necessity of keeping the Blueprint up to date. We'll need to keep track of any technical adjustments to ensure we are reflecting the latest policy, regulatory requirements, and best practice.

Looking ahead, we anticipate there may be demand for a more comprehensive review of the Blueprint from its second-year anniversary from November 2025. This review will involve consulting with industry experts, stakeholders, and our members to gather feedback and insights. Our goal is to implement any needed updates that will enhance the Blueprint's relevance and effectiveness, ensuring it continues to serve as a crucial tool for promoting sustainability in the rail industry.

Host [13.34]: And finally, if you could share one piece of advice for listeners who are keen to enhance their organisation's sustainability efforts, what would it be?

Stacey [13.44]: Sustainability a very important area, and it can be very overwhelming at times. I would say so many organisations are trying to improve, often driven by passionate individuals, and working together can be really successful. Learning from others' challenges and solutions can be very beneficial for any organisation looking to enhance their sustainability efforts. RSSB aims to provide a space for collaboration and learning from others, including through our working groups and events. 

Also, there are so many great resources out there that can help both across an organisation but also information on each part we can all play in making progress within sustainability. For example, the Realising Sustainable Rail E-Learning that we provide. I would encourage listeners to complete this, as well as informing your organisations about it so that it can be rolled out and embedded in your internal training. 

Also, if you are interested in sustainability and don’t work in it directly, make sure you talk to your organisation's sustainability team. Your organisation might also have a Sustainability Champions Network Group, which you can get involved in. Because there are things we all do everyday, regardless of our roles within a company, that can make a real difference.

Host [14.59]: Stacey, thank you so much for joining us today. And thank you for listening. 

If you want to learn more about RSSB's sustainability work, please visit our website. 

We look forward to you joining us for the next episode. And in the meantime, safe travels!