Ditchcarbon
  • Contact
  1. Organizations
  2. Kansas City Southern
Public Profile
Business Services
US
updated 14 days ago

Kansas City Southern Sustainability Profile

Company website

Kansas City Southern (KCS) is a prominent North American transportation company headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1887, KCS has established itself as a key player in the railway industry, primarily operating in the central and southern regions of the United States and extending into Mexico. The company focuses on freight transportation, offering a range of services that include intermodal, automotive, and bulk commodities. KCS is recognised for its unique cross-border capabilities, facilitating seamless trade between the U.S. and Mexico. With a strong market position, Kansas City Southern has achieved significant milestones, including its strategic mergers and expansions that enhance its operational efficiency. The company continues to innovate within the rail sector, making it a vital component of North America's logistics and supply chain infrastructure.

DitchCarbon Score

How does Kansas City Southern's carbon action stack up? DitchCarbon scores companies based on their carbon action and commitment to reducing emissions. Read about our methodology to learn more.

42

Industry Average

Mean score of companies in the Business Services industry. Comparing a company's score to the industry average can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.

26

Industry Benchmark

Kansas City Southern's score of 42 is higher than 65% of the industry. This can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.

65%

Let us know if this data was useful to you

Kansas City Southern's reported carbon emissions

In 2023, Kansas City Southern reported total carbon emissions of approximately 4,635,700,000 kg CO2e, with Scope 1 emissions accounting for about 4,635,700,000 kg CO2e, Scope 2 emissions at approximately 63,800,000 kg CO2e, and Scope 3 emissions totalling around 1,502,946,000 kg CO2e. The company has set ambitious climate commitments, aiming to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions to near zero by 2025. Additionally, Kansas City Southern plans to achieve a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from 2020 levels by 2030. The company has also committed to a long-term target of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% per million gross ton-miles by 2034, using 2019 as a baseline year. This commitment aligns with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and reflects the company's dedication to sustainable practices within the rail transportation sector. Kansas City Southern's emissions data is cascaded from its corporate family, ensuring consistency and transparency in its reporting. The company continues to focus on reducing its carbon footprint while enhancing operational efficiency in line with industry standards.

Unlock detailed emissions data

Access structured emissions data, company-specific emission factors, and source documents

201720182019202020212023
Scope 1
1,500,000,000
0,000,000,000
0,000,000,000
0,000,000,000
0,000,000,000
0,000,000,000
Scope 2
30,000,000
00,000,000
00,000,000
00,000,000
00,000,000
00,000,000
Scope 3
-
-
-
-
00,000,000
0,000,000,000

How Carbon Intensive is Kansas City Southern's Industry?

Very low
Low
Medium
High
Very high
Some industries are more carbon intensive than others. Kansas City Southern's primary industry is Business Services, which is very low in terms of carbon intensity compared to other industries.

How Carbon Intensive is Kansas City Southern's Location?

Very low
Low
Medium
High
Very high
The carbon intensity of the energy grid powering a company's primary operations has a strong influence on its overall carbon footprint. This request for Kansas City Southern is in US, which has a low grid carbon intensity relative to other regions.

Kansas City Southern's Scope 3 Categories Breakdown

Kansas City Southern's Scope 3 emissions, which increased significantly last year and increased significantly since 2021, demonstrating supply chain emissions tracking. Their carbon footprint includes suppliers and value chain emissions, with Scope 3 emissions accounting for 24% of total emissions under the GHG Protocol, with "Fuel and Energy Related Activities" being the largest emissions source at 75% of Scope 3 emissions.

Top Scope 3 Categories

2023
Fuel and Energy Related Activities
75%
Upstream Transportation & Distribution
8%
Purchased Goods and Services
7%
Employee Commuting
5%
Waste Generated in Operations
3%
Business Travel
2%

Kansas City Southern's Climate Goals (2030 & 2050)

Climate goals typically focus on 2030 interim targets and 2050 net-zero commitments, aligned with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to ensure alignment with global climate goals.

Kansas City Southern has established climate goals through participation in recognized frameworks and target-setting initiatives. Companies often set interim 2030 targets and long-term 2050 net-zero goals to demonstrate measurable progress toward decarbonization.

Science Based Targets Initiative
Carbon Disclosure Project
The Climate Pledge
UN Global Compact
RE 100
Climate Action 100
Race To Net Zero
Reduction Actions

Compare Kansas City Southern's Emissions with Industry Peers

Union Pacific Railroad

US
•
Railway transportation services
Updated 1 day ago

Heartland Express, Inc.

US
•
Other land transportation services
Updated 1 day ago

Ferrosur, S.A. de C.V.

MX
•
Railway transportation services
Updated about 2 months ago

Kuehne Plus Nagel

CH
•
Air transport services (62)
Updated 1 day ago

Siemens

DE
•
Machinery and equipment n.e.c. (29)
Updated 1 day ago

Schneider National

US
•
Sea and coastal water transportation services
Updated 1 day ago

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Kansas City Southern's sustainability data and climate commitments

Let us know if this data was useful to you

Where does DitchCarbon data come from?

Discover our data-driven methodology for measuring corporate climate action and benchmarking against industry peers

Ditchcarbon
v251103.2
[email protected]+44 203 475 7875Ditch Carbon Ltd167-169 Great Portland StreetLondon W1W 5PF
UL Solutions verification badge
CDP logo
Gartner Cool Vendor 2025 badge
ProductPortalScope 3 Tool FunctionalityDataIntegrationsPricing
CustomersHaleonGrant ThorntonHikmaRead all stories
SolutionsProcurement teamsSustainability teamsPlatform ownersCarbon accountants
ResourcesCalculation MethodologyDocumentationBlogFAQOrganizationsIndustriesSBTI APITrust CentreChangelog
AboutTeamCareersLicense AgreementPrivacy