Research: Sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors in Metros

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is an approach to sustainability that reflects social responsibility and care of employees in addition to environmental impacts. It is a concept that is influencing companies around the world, who are motivated by climate change and changing societal expectations.

The first and foremost motivation for studying ESG across COMET members is the intensifying climate change crisis. As transport is a major contributor to carbon emissions, there are discussions on how to decarbonise all forms of transport. From the societal perspective, there are shifting attitudes and expectations about inclusivity, transparency, and transport as a social good, to which the information age has brought greater awareness.

The study are compiles metros’ ESG policies and strategies and explores the measurement and monitoring tools used by member metros as well as the challenges and lessons learned from implementation. It reviews policies, initiatives, and data in selected areas of focus such as energy, environment, diversity, and public engagement.