
CEMIT Meets the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Out of the 17 UN goals, CEMIT’s values directly coincide with 9 of them. Read on to see how improving railway systems can lay the tracks for a better world.
#3: Good Health and Well Being
Driving contributes to air pollution, increasing the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer. Driving also correlates with poorer physical health, as it is less likely to be combined with walking, biking or the like. By providing people with efficient, effective and reliable train transportation, we are helping reduce our dependence on automobiles, while increasing the number of steps taken per day. Healthier people are not only happier people, but economically improve a society.
#8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Equality should also be applied to a person’s ability to pursue the job of their choice. Can we have equality if those without access to a car are withheld from the opportunities that those with a car can reach? Railways, as a part of any affordable and reliable public transportation system, work to make labor markets more accessible, no matter who you are or where you come from. By building a mobile transport network that links city and country, rail stands as a key contribution for businesses and business people alike.
#9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Without innovation, infrastructure and industry cannot move forward. Yet the de-carbonisation of transportation has been slow compared to that of other economic sectors. With rail being one of the oldest forms of mass transport in the world, CEMIT believes it is time to reinvent the wheel when it comes to traveling sustainably, efficiently, and safely.
#10: Reduced Inequalities
There are many factors that can contribute to inequalities within society, be it finances, disabilities, or place of residence. Yet these obstacles can be flattened through equal access to affordable transportation. No matter if you are wheelchair dependent, a young child trying to get to soccer practice, or a mother of three needing to get to work, rails have the ability to transform the way we live, work and play.
#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
A well-functioning public transport system is crucial for the smart-cities of today and tomorrow. Ideal locations, powered by renewable energy, keeping smaller communities alive and well, helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By building infrastructure that can let a society feasibly combine bicycles, walking paths and carpooling /car sharing as part of their transportation mix, we help fulfill a prerequisite for positive business development and economic prosperity.
#12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Doing more with fewer resources has always been at the core of mass transportation. Why get one person where they need to be when you can get 200 all at once? As we move into the future, we must do what we can to reduce our energy consumption, traffic congestion and resources used on maintenance and repair – one of CEMIT’s specialties.
#13: Climate Action
The European Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy also believes that the time to act is now, and calls for ‘decisive action to shift more activity towards more sustainable transport modes’. The strategy wants to double high-speed rail traffic in Europe by 2030, and triple it by 2050. You can read more about the need for efficient and less fossil-fuel intensive passenger and freight transport in Europe on the European Environmental Agency website.
“CEMIT’s focus on bringing sustainability to the world's railways is strengthened with the hire of Sustainability and Environmental Consultants.
Focusing heavily on environmental coordination and sustainability issues we believe in developing and influencing environmental and sustainability work in the construction industry, to meet the environmental and climate requirements through quality-assurance measures.”
