ITALY: Hitachi Rail says it is the first rolling stock manufacturer to be able to track not just the environmental impact of its products, but also their social impact via a Social Product Declaration.
The SPD for Hitachi Rail’s Masaccio electric-battery-diesel hybrid multiple-units, known as Blues by operator Trenitalia, was developed with EDP International, independently verified by Claudia A Peña and published in EPD International AB’s International EPD System.
It records all work by suppliers, and evaluates their social performance and adherence to ethical working practices, including employee safety, fair salaries, gender equality, labour laws and rule of law. The evaluation spans the entire 30-40 year life cycle of a train, from design, sourcing of materials and manufacturing to decommissioning and recycling.
Hitachi Rail has more than 20 000 suppliers in its supply chain, and is to create an automated platform to manage information gathering and certification for future fleets.
‘We are proud to launch this world first certification for trains’, said Luca D’Aquila, COO Hitachi Rail Group & CEO Hitachi Rail Italy, on December 7.
‘We are striving to contribute to a more sustainable and socially responsible industry — and hope other companies follow suit.’
- Hitachi Rail is planning to launch a EuroMasaccio evolution of the Masaccio design in the central European market by 2027.
