Alstom CSR Awards: Driving a Green UK Rail Supply Chain

Alstom’s Supplier Day and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards saw more than 200 industry stakeholders connect and celebrate sustainable innovation.

More than 120 leading British and Irish suppliers attended, reinforcing Alstom’s commitment to expanding supplier collaboration and sustaining its rail supply chain.

The event emphasised that local sourcing strengthens long-term industrial resilience and environmental responsibility.

By focusing procurement locally, the company reduces transit emissions and supports regional economies.

“We are proud that the vast majority of our spend for our UK operations is with British businesses, supporting thousands of jobs and driving economic value across the regions,” says Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK at Alstom.

“As we look ahead, our focus is on deepening these relationships – working more strategically with our suppliers to improve competitiveness, reduce time to market and deliver greater certainty through models such as long-term agreements.

“Ultimately, delivering the next generation of sustainable mobility in the UK and beyond depends on a strong, innovative and aligned supply chain. By working together, we can unlock shared growth, create lasting social value and ensure the rail sector continues to play a vital role in supporting communities and economic development across the country.”

Sustaining the domestic network

Alstom is a leading buyer in the UK rail market, spending more than £720m (US$958m) last year with nearly 1,300 British businesses. This network supports almost 11,000 jobs nationwide through its supply chain.

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Engaging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is central to Alstom’s procurement strategy. In the past year, 33% of spending was allocated to UK-based SMEs, and 90% went to British suppliers. Currently, 80% of suppliers are UK-based, with about half classified as SMEs.

This strategy also delivers international environmental and economic benefits. UK suppliers generated approximately £100m (US$133m) in exports to Alstom entities in 37 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Mexico, and the US. This supports the global adoption of British transport innovation.

Celebrating small business climate action

At the awards ceremony, Alstom presented nine awards to SMEs providing essential products and services.

These businesses were recognized for promoting health and wellbeing, driving economic growth, addressing climate change, and advancing equal opportunity.

Turbo Power Systems, Quest Electrical, Telent, Dellner Glass Solutions, Rullion, Olympus Global, OCS Group, and HUBER+SUHNER were named as winners.

Kadel Engineering received the Fight Climate Change (SME) award for its commitment to reducing operational carbon emissions.

Paul Rollins, Managing Director at Kadel Engineering says: “What a great honour for such a small company like Kadel Engineering to be recognised with an award. It was an extremely proud moment for us and lovely to feel appreciated.

The changes we made to fight climate change may seem small but if everyone made little changes towards this goal, it would make a big difference to the future of our planet. We are proud to be an Alstom supplier and look forward to continuing our CSR journey with them.”

Mitigating global procurement risks

Bhavik Pathak, Alstom’s Director and Head of Supplier Quality for the Americas, spoke with Supply Chain Digital in June. The discussion covered procurement strategies, the predictive capabilities of AI, and the ongoing evolution of global supply chains.

Managing environmental impacts requires balancing local dedication with global market realities.

Bhavik explains: “If I talk about our market, the rail market, our supply bases are spread globally. It’s not just a matter of getting the part at the lowest price. We need to ultimately reduce the risk for the organisation. Let’s say we have a crisis situation, how fast can we recover?

"Because of the geopolitical tensions and a lot going on right now in the global market, prices are fluctuating and then it comes with tariffs and all that."

First green bond issued

Earlier this month, Alstom successfully executed its first €700m (US$806m) European Green Hybrid bond issuance under a €1.5bn (US$1.73bn) Euro Medium-Term Note programme.

The bond was issued with a 5.25% fixed coupon for the first 5.25 years.

Structured as both a hybrid instrument and an EU Green Bond, the transaction combines capital efficiency with a clear commitment to sustainability.

This transaction also represents the first EU Green Hybrid issuance by a French company.