Metro Bilbao understands that its activities generate an impact on the environment and, therefore, has established an Environmental Policy as part of its General Corporate Policy, adopting the concept of Environmental Protection as a new corporate target.
In September 2001, Metro Bilbao decided to introduce a project to implement an Environmental Management System in accordance with the ISO 14001 Standard, a certification which the company obtained in July 2002, being the first underground in Europe to obtain a certification of this type.
Another step, beyond the Certification, is that we have become one of the first companies in our sector State underground) to draft an Environmental Report on our activity in accordance with the structure of the prestigious Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for the preparation of sustainability reports. PDF. Environmental Report 2003
This last environmental report referred to the year 2003, highlights, with objective data, the improvement process continued by the company that runs the metropolitan railway system concerning the care and respect for the environment.
Among the data that this document provides, referred to the year 2003, we can highlight, for example, that Metro Bilbao:
This report embraces the activities of all company departments and, based on this information, we can state that Metro Bilbao supports sustainable transport that is economically efficient as well as socially and environmentally responsible. Our environmental commitment is not only an internal aspect but is also displayed in our relationship with purveyors. All contracts with purveyors require strict compliance with environmental legislation.
Metro Bilbao plans to continue publishing an annual Environmental Report. This will allow us to gradually advance until we can adopt the most current principles, at any given moment, concerning the preparation of sustainability reports. Our short term target is to communicate, by means of complete sustainability indicators, adding economic and social components to this environmental information. We must highlight the effort we are performing to value the social impact that Metro Bilbao has had on its surroundings, a fact that very few public transport systems and companies analyse.
The last step taken concerning sustainability was the 55th UITP World Congress (International Union of Public Transport), held in Madrid in May 2003, where Metro Bilbao signed its commitment to form part of the Sustainable Development Charter,agreeing to combine the social, economic and environmental principles of sustainability.
By this act, Metro Bilbao is committed to taking the necessary measures to become a full member of the UITP Charter on Sustainable Development by the 56th Congress which will be held in Rome in the year 2005.
