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Renfe’s Environmental Policy

Through its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, “A train with values”, Renfe has taken on a series of commitments to society as pillars of its management policy, including a commitment to Sustainability and Environmental Protection.

This section gives you all the information about our environmental policy, about the interaction of our services with the environment, and about our activities in the field of sustainability. Here you can also find all the information on how to participate with us in activities related to promoting sustainable mobility and protecting the environment.

Renfe’s Sustainability Figures

Renfe, in addition to enjoying the benefits of a sustainable mode of transport as is the railway, everyday does its utmost to reduce the environmental impact of its activities by means of observing demanding environmental standards, a product of its firm commitment to sustainability and the environment.

Renfe, a Driving Force behind Sustainable Mobility

Rail transport is the means of freight and passenger transport that has the least impact on the environment as a whole. It is the means of transport that consumes the least amount of energy per transported unit, that produces the least CO2 emissions, that contributes least to local pollution in urban areas, and finally, that has the least noise impact. Furthermore, the amount of land taken up by rail infrastructures is, relatively speaking, less than that taken up by the road system.

All of these environmental benefits, as well as others, such as a lower accident rate and a reduction of urban congestion, makes rail the means of transport that generates the least external costs for society. Road transport and aviation generate between 2 and 5 times more external costs than rail transport.

Lower CO2 emissions
The railway is the means of transport that emits the least CO2 per transported unit, some 3 to 5 times less than travel by road and 7 to 10 times less than travel by air. Renfe reduced its emissions per transported unit by over 30% in the 1990-2007 period.

For example, on the Barcelona-Madrid route, a passenger using the Ave is responsible for generating some 13 kg of CO2, while someone travelling by plane is responsible for generating some 70 kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. According to these data, the CO2 atmospheric emission saving that comes about by transferring plane and car passengers to the high-speed train is extremely high. The estimated saving in tonnes of CO2 produced by the modal transfer from plane and car on the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona corridor to the Alta Velocidad train is reckoned to be over 200,000 tonnes of CO2/year; a figure similar to that of the domestic electricity consumption emissions of a city the size of Zaragoza.

These reduced emissions are due to:

• Electricity consumption: Efficient consumption
  
  The use of regenerative braking, an energy generating technology by which the motor, when braking, enables some trains to return from 6% to 10% of the energy employed on Alta Velocidad lines, and up to 40% on Cercanías trains, to the grid.
  
  The advances built into new trains such as the Civia permit an energy saving of 30%, thus reducing the environmental effects of our services.
  
  Economy driving in our trains permits an energy saving of up to 10% on some routes.
  
  
• The use of renewable energies
  
  Electrical energy consumption enables Renfe to use renewable energies, unlike other means of transport.
  
  In 2007, 21.11% of the energy used by Renfe came from renewable sources, thus exceeding European Union renewable energy targets for 2020.
  
  This increase in the share of renewable energies in the national mix will increasingly reduce CO2 emissions because of the railway.
  
  
• Public Transport: Lower energy consumption
  
  The railway, like other means of group transport, consumes less energy by making a more efficient use of seats than private means of transport.
  
  These factors mean that trains consume between 2 and 5 times less than other means of transport per transported unit.
  
  
• Reduction of local pollution emissions
  
  As a result preferred consumption of electrical energy, Renfe considerably reduces the emission of local air pollutants, which are the cause of serious illnesses, such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particles in suspension or volatile organic compounds, thus avoiding increases in pollution in cities, unlike road transport.
  
  Cercanías trains, given that the majority of them use electrical power, facilitate mobility in towns and cities without contributing to urban air pollution.
  
  
• Lower noise emissions
  
  Renfe trains emit less noise than other means of transport, such road and air transport.
  
  Railway noise, when produced, is not continuous, and is less annoying than the uninterrupted noise caused by roads.
  
  With respect to rail travel, it is possible to apply measures to the noise emitters, rolling stock and infrastructure, while in other modes of transport, such as aviation, palliative measures are usually applied to the recipients of noise, which is less effective and more traumatic.
  
  
• Lower occupation of space
  
  The railway occupies between 2 and 3 times less space per transported unit than roads. On a European level, the railway accounts for 8% of the transport market and only 2% of land occupation due to transport.
  
  Although the construction of Alta Velocidad lines occupies space, these lines use 35% less than a dual carriageway.
  
  A railway line has capacity to transport 9,000 passengers, 6 times more than the infrastructure for transport by bus and 45 times more with respect to cars.
  
  
• External Costs
  
  All of the foregoing environmental benefits, in addition to other factors, such as a low accident rate and reduced traffic congestion (one double-length Cercanías train avoids road traffic jams of up to three kilometres), makes rail transport in Spain the means of transport that generates the lowest external cost per transported unit: 5 times less than freight transport by road, 3 times less than passenger transport by road and 2 times less than civil aviation. External transport costs in our country amount to nearly 10% of the GDP.

Main sustainable management indicators

Renfe generates a series of environmental impacts that are below those provoked by other means of transport. Nonetheless, year after year we do our utmost to reduce these, and where possible do away with them altogether. The main environmental figures for 2007, and their evolution, are as follows:

Energy Consumption

For more detailed information about our environment figures, see our Environmental Report.

Certificates of respect for the environment

As a result of our commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, Renfe integrates respect for the environment into all of its activities, which explains why we are currently in the process of certifying the services of our different Activity Areas by means of implementing environmental management systems pursuant to the UNE-EN-ISO 14001 Standard, while in some cases we are implementing integrated systems pursuant to the Environment Management Standard UNE-EN-ISO 14001 and the Quality Management Standard UNE-EN-ISO 9001.

During the course of 2007, the Renfe services with certified environmental management systems in accordance with the UNE-EN-ISO 14001 Standard were:

Moreover, Renfe has certified Cercanías services in accordance with the Public Passenger Transport UNE-EN ISO 13816 Standard, which requires several environmental indicators to be monitored to assess improvements in the management and efficiency of consumption of energy, water and paper, among others. These services are available on the following Cercanías hubs:

Three lines on the Asturias Cercanías hub:

• Line C-1 Gijón/Oviedo – Puente de los Fierros
• Line C-2 Oviedo – El Entrego
• Line C-3 Llamaquique/Oviedo - San Juan de Nieva
  

  More information at: http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/asturias/

Three lines on the Bilbao Cercanías hub:

• Line C-1 Bilbao Abando - Santurzti
• Line C-2 Bilbao Abando – Muskiz
• Line C-3 Bilbao Abando – Orduña
  

  More information at: http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/bilbao/indicadores_ambientales2008.html

Three lines on the Valencia Cercanías hub.

• Line C-1 València Nord - Gandía.
• Line C-2 València Nord - Xátiva and Moixent.
• Line C-6 València Nord - Castelló de la Plana.
  

  More information at: http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/valencia/indicadores_ambientales2008.html

Renfe, a Sustainable Company

Respect for the environment is an essential feature of Renfe's corporate policy, a distinguishing factor that makes it stand out in comparison to other means of transport. For this very reason, Renfe has included Sustainability as one of its goals in its Strategic Plans. Moreover, it is one of Renfe's commitments in its Corporate Social Responsibility policy, forming part of its "A Train with Values" strategy.

Policy, Commitment and Environmental Decalogue form the main elements of Renfe's Environmental Management. These tools, approved by Renfe's Management Committee in December 2005, position sustainability as a strategic element for the company.

Renfe’s Environmental Policy

Renfe’s environmental goal is to reduce, and even to completely do away with, the environmental effects associated with the provision of its services.

To this end, Renfe is pursuing an environmental policy based on three fundamental points:

• Full environmental adaptation of Renfe services through scrupulous compliance with current environmental regulations, as well as voluntarily adopted environmental commitments.
  
• Disseminating and placing value on the environmental benefits of the railway as a means of transport.
  
• Management of the current environmental aspects related to infrastructure and operation.

Renfe’s environmental commitment

Renfe's Environmental Commitment serves a guiding principle for it environmental actions. This sets forth the obligations and commitments that Renfe has undertaken with respect to the environment and its social surroundings, and moreover forms part of Renfe’s commitment to sustainable development as manifested in its triple dimension strategic planning: economic, social, environmental.

Renfe undertakes to:

State its environmental commitments publicly and in writing.

Assume environmental commitments of a voluntary nature, even going further than required by current environmental regulations.

Develop the most appropriate management tools to reduce, and even eliminate, its environmental impacts, via adequate internal organisation.

Establish adequate channels for interested parties to participate in Renfe's environmental management.

Check the efficiency of its environmental management by monitoring implementation and compliance, and by permanently updating and adjusting it to meet the demands of society.

This commitment also leads to an “Environmental Decalogue” that regulates Renfe’s Environmental Management System.

Environmental Decalogue:

• Comply with current environmental legislation as well as voluntarily adopted commitments.
  
  
• Demand the same degree of compliance of its subsidiaries, contractors and suppliers.
  
  
• Establish environment surveillance systems.
  
  
• Set up energy efficiency continuous improvement programmes.
  
  
• Efficient use of all other resources.
  
  
• Minimise waste and pollution, reducing noise and emissions into the atmosphere, including those covered by the Kyoto Protocol.
  
  
• Develop goals and periodical environmental action programmes based on continuous improvement.
  
  
• Develop Environmental Management Systems and Integrated Systems.
  
  
• Educate, motivate and raise awareness among its employees with respect to the environment.
  
  
• Promote Sustainable Mobility and dialogue between the Interested Parties.

2008 Environmental Report

Take part with us

We at Renfe want you to get involved with us in protecting the environment, which explains why we organise educational campaigns such as:

• The Nature Train
  http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid/catalogo/naturaleza_home.html
  
• Alta Velocidad Competition on Sustainability and the Environment for Schools
  http://www.renfe.es/ave/concurso/
  
• The “Little Ideas for a Better World” campaign
  http://www.renfe.es/rse/trensostenible/
  
• “The Northern Mountains” activity
  http://www.cordilleracantabrica.org/spip.php?rubrique54

If you want more

Here you will find information on national and international projects and forums in which Renfe takes part, as well as other the railway, transport and the environment links.

• Train to Copenhagen: Renfe participates in this international campaign organized by the International Union of Railways (UIC). Its members and patrons are organizing the International “Train to Copenhagen” Campaign, which consists of a range of activities and initiatives centred around the next Climate Change Summit, to be held on 7 December in the Danish capital.
  
• EcoTransIT: This is a transport environmental information tool that compares the impact of the different means of freight transport in Europe. EcoTransIT compares energy consumption, greenhouse gases and the combustion gases of freight transport by rail, truck, ship and plane. The following calculations can be done with the tool: intermodal transport services, goods characteristics and the technical specifications of locomotive means. To calculate the impact of your travel
  
• Ecopassenger: This tool, developed by UIC, enables the comparison of the environmental impact of different means of passenger trasnsport in Europe. To calculate the impact of your travel
  
• The Railway Companies Sustainability Forum: This is of a group of public and private railway companies. Its aim is to promote sustainable mobility in Spain through the growth of the most sustainable means of transport, such as the railway. The Railway Companies Sustainability Forum was set up on 30 November 2006 on the basis of a Renfe initiative within the framework of the 8th National Environment Conference (Conama), during the course of which the Railway Companies Sustainable Declaration was signed.
  
• Greenways: Greenways is a Spanish Railways’ Foundation programme that has adapted stretches of abandoned railway tracks for bicycle touring and hiking activities. European Greenways association page: http://www.aevv-egwa.org/

Other useful links:

• UIC Environment This is the International Union of Railways environment page. It contains information on international projects and policies to do with the environment within the railway sector.
  
  
• CER: In the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies’ page you will also find rail sector environmental information at a European level.
  
  
• Transport and Environment: Web page of the European association, Transport & Environment.
  
  
• UITP: Web page of the International Association of Public Transport.