In 2025, Norfolk Southern completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
Norfolk Southern has also provided a category-level breakdown for 9 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 4,023,607a | 4,054,131b | 4,098,384b | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 131,763a | 136,083b | 137,982b | |
Location-Based | 143,585a | 136,358b | 145,307b | |
Total Scope 3 | 1,626,055a | 1,773,373b | 1,999,109c | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 330.3454a | 334.4165b | 337.1491b |
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In 2025, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Norfolk Southern amounted to 4,167,192 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Norfolk Southern decreased by 0.56%, showing that the company has made progress in taking action to reduce the climate impact of its operations.ab
In 2025, the total Scope 1 emissions of Norfolk Southern were 4,023,607 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2019, Norfolk Southern's Scope 1 emissions have decreased by 15.9%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 1 emissions over time.ad
Compared to the previous year (2024), Norfolk Southern's Scope 1 emissions remained relatively stable, indicating that Norfolk Southern's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its operational footprint.ab
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 131,763 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 143,585 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Since 2019, Norfolk Southern's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Location-Based) have decreased by 28.73%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 2 emissions over time.ad
Compared to the previous year (2024), Norfolk Southern's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that Norfolk Southern's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.ab
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported 1,626,055 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2025 disclosure of Norfolk Southern includes a breakdown across 9 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, up from 8 in 2024, reflecting improved emissions accounting practices and greater transparency across the company's value chaina
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported total Scope 3 emissions of 1,626,055 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 98.71% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 1.29% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2019, Norfolk Southern's Scope 3 emissions have decreased by 46.04%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2024), Norfolk Southern's Scope 3 emissions remained relatively stable, indicating that Norfolk Southern's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its value chain footprint.ab
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported emissions for 9 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.a
This partial disclosure allows for some insight into the company's indirect impacts.
In 2025, the largest contributors to Norfolk Southern's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 4,023,607 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 12,180 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 330.35 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 330.35 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 17.23, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2025, Norfolk Southern ranked 20 out of 23 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
This places Norfolk Southern among the least efficient performers, with one of the highest emissions intensities in its sector.a
In 2025, Norfolk Southern reported a total carbon footprint of 5,793,247 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 2.86% decrease compared to 2024, indicating progress in reducing its overall greenhouse gas output.ab
The largest contributor to Norfolk Southern's total carbon footprint was Scope 1 emissions, accounting for 69.45% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 3 emissions at 28.07%.a