Rail freight UK

Decarbonising our national supply chains has long been a key pillar of GB Railfreight’s business strategy. Central to this has been working with Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) to independently measure the business’ progress in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

We have completed our assessment for 2024, and have been awarded 94/100 with a 4-star rating, placing us above both our peer group average of 86/100 and the total GRESB average of 86/100. This demonstrates continuous progress since our first submission in 2022, when we scored 72/100 with a 2-star rating demonstrating that the actions the business is taking are making a significant difference.

GRESB is a mission-driven organisation providing transparent ESG data to financial markets. Their assessments are guided by global sustainability goals, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, making this a highly respected and rigorous benchmark for environmental and social responsibility.

Karl Goulding-Davis, Chief Financial Officer – GB Railfreight; said “This result from GRESB, demonstrates that the actions we are taking as a business are making a significant difference in our ambitions to be a truly sustainable organisation. Over the last 12 months, we’ve introduced initiatives including introducing lower carbon traction to our rolling stock fleet, energy monitoring and taking the next steps on our path to ensuring all our depots are fully sustainable. It’s fantastic to see this recognised in this industry leading result.”

Alexia Savva, Head of Responsible Investment, Infracapital; said “We are pleased that GRESB has recognised GBRf’s implementation of business relevant initiatives that aspire to generate environmental and social outcomes. Decarbonising the transport sector is critical to the delivery of national and global net-zero targets and GBRf continues to make strides in this space. We look forward to continuing to work with the business to enhance such outcomes going forward.”

GRESB is a mission-driven organisation providing transparent ESG data to financial markets. Their assessments are guided by global sustainability goals, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, making this a highly respected and rigorous benchmark for environmental and social responsibility.

This improvement in our score highlights our commitment to sustainability across all aspects of our operations, and it’s a positive step forward in meeting our long-term ESG goals.