Sustainability and social responsibility
Using public transport or transporting freight by rail contributes to a more sustainable society. The emissions from trains and buses are low, but we work constantly to reduce them further.
Did you know...?
- In 2025, we completed 223 million journeys and saved the society the equivalent to the annual emissions of 478 000 cars
- The railway accounts for 0.1 per cent of Norway’s total annual CO₂ emissions, while road traffic accounts for 8,7 per cent.
- 50 per cent of Vy’s buses run on non-fossil fuels.
- 1200 articulated lorries are replaced by CargoNet freight trains every day.
- On average, a full train replaces 600 cars during peak hours.
Together, we will reduce emissions
Transport accounts for nearly a third of Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore Vy plays an important role in reducing emissions by promoting public transport and freight transport on rails.
Why are public transport and rail freight more sustainable than electric passenger cars and lorries?
Saves space and resources
Public transport reduces the need for parking spaces which provides us with more space for pedestrian streets, green spaces and homes. Travelling by public transport uses less resources when sharing the same vehicle.
Reduces noise and pollution
Car tires create a lot of noise and are the largest source of microplastics emissions and local air pollution in Norway and Sweden. Traveling by train and bus instead of private car thus reduces noise and the amount of microplastics in nature.
Reduces queuing
It is not sustainable if everyone drives their own car to and from the cities during rush hour. Trains and buses replace several hundred cars, it is more environmentally friendly and more efficient.
Reduces the number of accidents
A heavy goods vehicle is involved in many traffic fatalities in Norway. Vy’s freight activities save the roads from around 1250 articulated lorries every day and therefore contributes to traffic safety on the roads.
Illustration showing CO₂ emissions for different vehicles per passenger kilometer. Airplane – 127g, Diesel car (SUV) – 101g, Diesel bus – 30g, Electric car (SUV) in the Nordic countries – 26g, Electric bus in the Nordic countries– 13g, Electric train in the Nordic countries – 7g. Source: Chalmers tekniska högskola - Metodrapport för Klimatsmartsemester version 4.1 and NHO Transport.
What we are doing to meet our sustainable development goals
We are continuously working on large and small sustainability measures:
Power from braking
The modern trains in our fleet generate electric power when braking. Brake energy is fed back to the catenary system and can therefore be used by other trains. On average, 10-20 per cent of the electric power received by a modern train from the catenary system will be fed back to the system.
Buses with renewable fuel
The proportion of kilometers driven with electricity in Vy Buss is 14%, this corresponds to an increase from 11.4 million km in 2022, to 23.2 million km in 2024. 34% of the total km driven is done with biogas or biodiesel.
Environmentally friendly cleaning facilities
Since 2020, we have labelled three laundry facilities in Eidsvoll, Hamar and Brumunddal with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and we are working to get even more certified. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel sets strict requirements for water consumption and wastewater treatment.
New technology piloted in the freight segment
CargoNet is working to offer increasingly sustainable freight transport. We have tested electric zero-emission lifting equipment that can lift 45 tonnes, as the first terminal operator in Europe, and are embracing freight that is usually transported by road.
Vy focuses on sustainable tourism
Vy focuses on sustainable tourism using public transport through Fjord Tours Group and Flåmsbana AS, companies that we partly own. Together, we focus on developing environmentally friendly, public transport-based journeys for tourists.
Responsible purchasing and the Transparency Act
Vy carries out annual risk analyses, in line with the Transparency Act, of environmental, social and ethical conditions in our purchasing plans and contract portfolios. The most important activity in 2023 has been to follow up suppliers within the identified risk areas.
Responsible purchasing and the Transparency Act
We want to be a driving force for sustainability throughout the entire purchasing process. Our Supplier Code of Conduct sets out requirements concerning fundamental human rights and labour rights, the environment and business conduct for all purchases and contracts.
Our purchasing strategy sets out specific objectives and measures for sustainable purchasing. The efforts to ensure compliance with sustainability in the supply chain form an important part of the Group’s corporate social responsibility and we strive to work in accordance with the OECD method for due diligence in our purchasing processes. We carry out yearly risk assessments based on the Group’s and the business areas’ procurement plans and will implement measures based on risk level.
Ensuring employee and human rights is central to the work with sustainability. This is important both for our own employees and for employees in our supply chain. We undertake to carry out due diligence assessments and implement measures where we find significant risks, in line with the Transparency Act.
Vy recognises that our operations can have a potential negative impact on people, society and the environment. At the same time, we want to contribute to positive development in our supply chain, and we strive for supplier relationships with suppliers who show a particular willingness and ability to work with positive development in the supply chain.
For several years, Vy has worked with responsible business and safeguarding basic human rights and decent working conditions in our own business and in our supply chains. In 2022, we established a framework for due diligence assessments that was in line with the Transparency Act, and carried out, among other things, a comprehensive mapping of risks in the group's contract portfolio. Since then, we have fully focused on carrying out due diligence assessments of our supply chains and following up suppliers within the identified risk areas.
The Vy group has several contracted areas with a particularly high risk of violations of human rights and workers' rights, such as the purchase of electric buses, uniforms, tires, IT equipment, cleaning services, and more.
Examples of risks and follow-up
The majority of new electric buses procured by Vy buss are produced in China, both assembly, components, raw materials and battery. There is generally a high risk of violations of worker rights in China, such as various forms of forced labour, working hours and HSE. Furthermore, there are reports that link companies in the battery and electric bus industry in China to the Xinjiang province with a high risk of violating the human rights of minority populations. The high risk of violations of worker and human rights in the production of electric buses leads Vy buss to undertakes extensive work over time in cooperation with parties in the supply chain to avoid, uncover and improve conditions that are considered indecent.
Vy has a group-wide agreement for the purchase of uniforms. The uniform garments are assembled in China and India. There is generally a high risk of human rights violations in the production of textiles, and we hold regular meetings with our supplier, where we request information and documentation on how human rights and worker rights are ensured. Discrepancies from working time regulations were uncovered through audit reports that have been received, which we have demanded corrected. We consider that there is also a risk of violations related to pay, trade union organisation, health and safety and discrimination, although no discrepancies have yet been uncovered in these areas.
Due diligence account according to the Transparency Act
You can read more about how we work with the identified risk areas and due diligence according to the Transparency Act in the yearly account.
- Account for The Vy Group’s report for 2025: see page 104 and page 118 of the Annual and sustainability report (pdf)External link
- Account for The Vy Group’s report for 2024: see page 84 and page 95 of the Annual and sustainability report (pdf)External link
- Account for The Vy Group's report for 2023: see page 167 of the Annual and sustainability report (pdf)External link
Annual and sustainability reports
Would you like to learn more about our sustainability efforts? You will find a complete overview of our goals and actions in the annual and sustainability report.