As Norfolk Southern's chief sustainability officer, Josh Raglin has launched pioneering technologies and scalable low-carbon solutions at the US freight firm.

Over the past year, he helped advance the company's goal to cut Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 42% by 2034 by introducing battery-diesel hybrid locomotives – cutting locomotive emissions by up to 90%.

Under Raglin's leadership, Norfolk Southern has also doubled its biofuel use to more than nine million gallons – one of the largest programmes in an industry that is 99% reliant on diesel products. In 2023, more than 20% of the company's locomotive fuel mix came from bio-based alternatives, a share he is determined to expand.

He has also overseen a pilot carbon-capture project and launched RailGreen, a first-of-its-kind verified carbon inset platform for customers.

His impact extends beyond decarbonisation. Raglin has also overseen major ecological restoration projects in its land assets, achieving biodiversity gains and earning an International Union of Railways Sustainability Impact Award in 2024 for its Living Shoreline restoration project in Norfolk, Virginia.

When Raglin began his career at Norfolk Southern over 25 years ago, his focus was on wildlife biology – restoring forests, wetlands, and natural habitats along the railroad's landholdings. At the time, sustainability was not yet a formal discipline at the company, he says.

By 2007, Norfolk Southern had formalised its first sustainability programme, and Raglin worked closely with company leadership to embed sustainability across its operations.

"We like to say we went from working on lightbulbs to locomotives," he told Environmental Finance. "We started small, but built momentum, engagement, and buy-in across the organisation. Sustainability is truly a team effort."

Six years ago, he was appointed chief sustainability officer, a role in which he now drives the company's long-term decarbonisation and resilience strategy.

Technology and innovation are central to that strategy. The mobile carbon-capture pilot with startup Remora can cut locomotive carbon dioxide emissions by 70% and reduce particulates and nitrogen oxide by 90%, according to Raglin. The purified carbon dioxide is then sold, creating new revenue streams for the company.

"Rail already enjoys an environmental edge over trucking by reducing shipping emissions by 75%; the Remora work would further rail's advantage," he says.

"We're at a really exciting moment," Raglin adds. "New technologies, new partnerships, and new markets for biodiversity and ecosystem services are emerging. It's about testing the solutions of the future as we see more people come to the table and share ideas and information as we navigate this path together."

For Raglin, the key to overcoming any resistance to such changes – especially in today's polarised climate around ESG – is bringing sustainability back to its core business case. Every initiative must deliver measurable financial and operational value alongside environmental benefits, he argues.

That philosophy underpins investments like electric intermodal cranes. Though costly upfront, they save money over the long term, he states. It also drives nature-based projects like the Living Shoreline in Virginia, which protects climate-threatened infrastructure, restores ecosystems, and generates nutrient credits that he says have both paid for the project and continue to provide additional revenue.

Raglin credits his success as a leader to collaboration and engagement. His approach has been to engage subject matter experts across the firm's functions in developing and executing Norfolk Southern's climate transition plan. More than 50 Norfolk Southern business leaders contributed to the plan, which is now embedded in decision-making across the company.

As Raglin looks to the future, he sees both challenges and opportunities. Policy shifts and supply constraints have slowed renewable fuels adoption, while public debates around ESG provide a challenge for how such initiatives are communicated. Yet he remains confident that rail's inherent sustainability advantages, coupled with innovation and collaboration, will ensure they continue to make progress.

"Rail already offers the most sustainable way to move goods over land," he adds. "Now our job is to keep continuing to educate our stakeholders, convert truck business to rail to reduce emissions further, and continue to promote our competitive, sustainable advantage as an industry.

"It's a win-win solution for us, for our shippers, and for the communities in which we serve."