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Josh Raglin named Sustainable Business Leader of the Year
Sep 10, 2025
NS’ Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin has been named Sustainable Business Leader of the Year by Environmental Finance. The award recognizes his leadership in advancing sustainability in the freight rail industry.
Why it matters: Rail is already the most sustainable way to move goods over land. Raglin is helping Norfolk Southern go even further by reducing emissions, modernizing operations, and protecting ecosystems across our 22-state network. His work is not only transforming our business – it’s helping our customers to meet their own sustainability goals.
Leadership in action: With more than 25 years of experience in conservation and environmental stewardship, Raglin leads NS’ efforts to embed sustainability across the business. Under his leadership, NS released its first-ever Climate Transition Plan, setting a science-based target to cut emissions intensity 42% by 2034. Since 2019, NS has reduced emissions by 9.6% and absolute emissions by 16% while more than doubling the use of biofuels.
Over the past year, Raglin has helped NS:
- Launch RailGreen: Introduce the first verified way to reduce supply chain emissions in North American rail, giving customers transparent emissions reduction certificates.
- Pioneer clean technology: Partner with Remora on a pilot of the industry’s first carbon-capturing rail car.
- Restore ecosystems: Add marsh grasses and 20,000 oysters to boost biodiversity as part of the Elizabeth River shoreline restoration at Lamberts Point in Virginia.
- Advance waste diversion: Divert 88% of all operational waste from landfills with record scrap metal recycling as part of a systemwide cleanup effort.
In our words
“Josh’s leadership exemplifies how integrating sustainability into our core operations is not just a responsibility — it’s a strategic imperative. This award highlights the tangible impact of his efforts at Norfolk Southern and his unwavering commitment to delivering innovative, sustainable solutions for our customers’ most pressing challenges.” – Ed Elkins, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer.
Our commitment: Sustainability is at the core of our business strategy. We recently published our annual Forging a Better Tomorrow Report, outlining how we’re building a safer, more sustainable, and more resilient future.
Click here to read Environmental Finance Article.
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