Following a successful series of regional web meetings, the UIC Asia-Pacific region held its fifth session on 10 October 2025, dedicated entirely to the work of the UIC Sustainability Platform and its activities and tools. The session provided a comprehensive overview of UIC’s integrated approach to environmental, social and economic sustainability, a topic that continues to be of great interest to UIC Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly (APRA) members.
Welcome and platform vision
The session was opened by Philippe Lorand, Director of Institutional Relations, Advocacy and Communications & Coordinator Asia-Pacific Region, who emphasised the primary goal: to ensure a comprehensive understanding of UIC’s sustainability work.
Lia Talarico, Head of Sustainability at Trenitalia International and Chair of the UIC Sustainability Platform since July 2024, outlined the Platform’s role in promoting global cooperation on key topics like CO₂ reduction, the circular economy, and gender and inclusion. She emphasised its core strength: connecting technical expertise with practical tools.
Lucie Anderton, UIC Director of Sustainability, representing both herself and Pinar Yilmazer, Head of Sustainability Programme, then provided an overview of the Platform’s work and outlined the Platform’s three core missions:
- Connect global experts
- Co-create practical business solutions
- Advocate for rail as the sustainable backbone of mobility
Ms Anderton also described the key social responsibility initiatives, including the gender equality initiative, Train2BEqual, which aims to increase the representation of women in the workforce and improve their experience.
Deep dive: UIC Sustainability tools and practices
The session transitioned into a detailed technical discussion, guided by the Platform’s leading advisors, who presented the core tools and working areas across key operational domains:
- Philippe Stefanos, Senior Advisor Energy & CO2 and Air Quality, detailed strategies for energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction, as well as the management of air quality and non-exhaust emissions.
- Isabelle De Keyzer, Senior Advisor Circular Economy, presented the mission statement and vision of the Circular Economy Sector. She shared insights into the sector’s permanent activity “Zero Waste” (best practice exchange workshops) and into the ongoing work aimed at updating a UIC leaflet to align environmental specifications for new rolling stock with the latest sustainability regulations, and in particular to embed the circular economy in procurement processes.
- Monika Rukia, Junior Advisor Noise and Vibration (representing Lorenzo Franzoni, Senior Advisor Sustainable Land Use), presented the mission, key activities, publications and ongoing projects of the Noise and Vibration Sector, emphasising its collaborative efforts within the global railways community. She also covered the Sustainable Land Use activities for habitat protection and biodiversity enhancement, as well the upcoming projects.
- Snejana Markovic-Chenais, Senior Advisor on Economics, provided a technical deep dive into the Rail Sustainability Index (RSI), a benchmarking tool built on seven key UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). She highlighted that RSI data, which is aggregated for the UIC Global Rail Sustainability Report, helps members measure performance and plan improvements.
Regional discussion and summary
The meeting concluded with a moderated discussion on sustainability in the Asia-Pacific context, featuring Nargiz Samadova, Sustainable Development Manager, Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), and Xin Ling, Deputy Director of Tianyou Railway Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), represented by Prof. REN Jun.
- ADY shared its integrated sustainability strategy, explaining that it is founded on three core pillars: environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic resilience.
- SWJTU provided an academic perspective on international railway talent development and innovation, detailing seven measures focused on capacity building, including establishing the Belt and Road Initiative Education Alliance and hosting specialised training programmes aligned with SDGs.
The polls during the discussion revealed that APRA members highly prioritise access to UIC best practices, capacity building and workshops to support their transition.
In the closing remarks, Mr Lorand thanked the speakers and attendees, encouraging all participants to leverage the technical resources presented and maintain active engagement with the Platform to maximise the value of their UIC membership.
