Sustainability

Sustainability Playbook

The 2024 Sustainability Playbook framework builds on the SEP-TAINABLE 2020 plan adopted seven years ago with 13 ambitious goals across 3 pillars: natural environment, healthy communities and workforce, and economic vitality. The playbook provides a seven-year plan for SEPTA to maximize the sustainability impact on our business practices, systems, equipment, and facilities. It includes goals, targets, actions and metrics to facilitate the strategies and actions that are required today to ensure a sustainable future.

Learn more about our goals, and join us on this journey toward a brighter, more sustainable future with SEPTA.

Read the Sustainability Playbook.

Natural Environment

Transit is inherently sustainable. SEPTA continues to be a superior option for reducing one’s carbon footprint, while also easing congestion on public roadways. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), energy use, water conservation, stormwater mitigation and waste reduction are areas that SEPTA continues to track and improve performance. Great strides have been made over the past decade but challenges remain, and thus innovative and sustainable solutions will follow.

Goal

01

Reduce SEPTA's Carbon Footprint

Targets

• Decrease overall GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 from 2022 baseline.
• Zero emission bus fleet by 2040.
• Achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

View the Overall C02-E Emissions Chart

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to further reduce our carbon footprint by increasing ridership, investing in renewable energy sources, designing for efficient facilities and procuring efficient fleet vehicles.

Goal

02

Improve Energy Efficiency

Targets

• Decrease overall energy consumption 20% by 2030 from 2022 baseline.

View the Gross Overall Energy Consumption Chart

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will continue to reduce energy consumption with efficient vehicles and at facilities through energy efficiency improvements, monitoring, facility renovations and energy efficient design of new facilities and systems.

Goal

03

Improve Water Efficiency

Targets

• Decrease overall water consumption 25% by 2030 from 2022 baseline.

View the Overall Water Usage Chart

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to improve water efficiency in SEPTA facilities, look to reduce use of potable water, and review opportunities to reuse water from washing or other operations.

Goal

04

Reduce Stormwater Runoff

Targets

• Increase green acreage by 25 acres by 2030.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will utilize green infrastructure and best management practices to improve stormwater runoff surrounding our facilities and infrastructure. Tree plantings are a part of this strategy, which have co-benefits that involve acting as carbon sinks and reducing the heat island effect in urban areas.

Goal

05

Reduce & Reuse Waste

Targets

• Reduce overall waste by 20% by 2030, from FY2022 baseline.
• Improve passenger and employee waste diversion by 20% by 2030 from FY2022 baseline.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to increase waste diversion at both passenger facilities and SEPTA facilities by increasing awareness, evaluation of diversion methods and monitoring. SEPTA will also review procurement and material lifecycle in order to reduce the overall waste stream from our facilities.

Healthy Communities & Workforce

Transit promotes equity. SEPTA strives to engage and listen. This means finding better ways to create thriving communities and a robust workforce that meets the needs of both employees and the community. The region’s diversity is a direct reflection of SEPTA, and brings with it strength and vibrancy that create a strong interconnected network that enhances our well-being and health. Our communities can thrive with equitable access to transit and opportunity.

Goal

06

Promote Livable Communities

Targets

• Construct 3 TOCs on SEPTA-owned property by 2030.
• Make all subway/elevated and trolley stations fully accessible by 2035.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will integrate with and help create livable communities by building accessible stations and encouraging dense, people-centric, transit-oriented communities through intentional planning and collaboration with our regional partners.

Goal

07

Improve Access to Local Food Via Transit

Targets

• Host 6 farmers market locations on SEPTA property by 2030.
• Host 2 food accessibility events per year.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to increase access to healthy and local food by continuing to host farmers markets on SEPTA property and also serving as a facilitator for food accessibility through food drives and donations.

Goal

08

Develop a Highly Skilled, Healthy & Versatile Workforce

Targets

• Meet the Authority's staffing and servicing needs.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to continue to train and develop staff via individual-centered growth from a health, competency, career and skills standpoint. Retention efforts and career development will be the focus to ensure SEPTA is meeting workforce needs and creating a positive and engaging workforce that promotes education, employee wellness and high performance.

Goal

09

Foster Equity, Inclusion & Fairness in our Workforce, Business Partnerships & Communities

Targets

• Increase contracting dollars committed to small, minority and woman-owned companies to 20%.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will actively work to include diverse communities we serve and continue inclusionary workforce programs. SEPTA will increase the contract opportunities and dollars going to diverse businesses, along with increased transparency and reporting on as part of the Equity in Infrastructure pledge. SEPTA will seek to improve on the 19% Triennial Goal by 2026 to 20% by 2030.

Economic Vitality

Transit is an economic engine. The impacts of a healthy economy are key to fueling a region, and transit is a driver in that success. SEPTA consistently seeks to help grow the economy while striking the balance in supporting the environment and communities that live, work and play in the region. SEPTA also values the economics of sustainability, and the return on investment that it brings.

Goal

10

Increase Ridership

Targets

• Increase passenger trips per capita 80% by 2030 from 2022 baseline.

View the Average Number of SEPTA Rides per Resident Chart

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to increase ridership by modernizing our services and features to become more user-friendly. This includes upgrading technologies, improving communication and trip planning for users, modifying fare structure to be more cost-effective, and implementing Transit-Oriented Development strategies.

Goal

11

Improve Operating Expense Performance

Targets

• Outperform industry annualized growth rate between 2022 and 2030.

View the Operating Expense per Unlinked Passenger Trip Chart

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to maintain status of outperforming the operating expense industry annualized growth rate by continuing the Transformation Office’s Efficiency and Accountability Program to evaluate ways that SEPTA can be more efficient and find savings in our operations and processes.

Goal

12

Institutionalize Environmental Management Practices

Targets

• Maintain current ISO 14001:2015 certification at two facilities by 2030.
• Pursue group ISO 14001:2015 certification by mode.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will work to institutionalize environmental management practices and sustainability into our organization’s systems, practices, facilities, and workplaces by leveraging our ESMS program, building out our sustainability data management platform, and requiring sustainable design practices.

Goal

13

Demonstrate the Financial Value of Sustainability

Targets

• Increase financial impacts from grants, revenue and savings related to sustainability efforts by 10% by 2030.

Overal
Goal
Strategy

SEPTA will continue to seek and secure federal, state, and local/regional grant funding to support and grow our sustainability initiatives and will continue annual reporting on the resulting financial impacts.