Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp

Lobbying Transparency and Governance

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Direct Lobbying Transparency
Overall Assessment Comment Score
Moderate Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp offers a mixed level of transparency around its climate-related lobbying. The company does identify one concrete policy proposal – the creation of a public-private “Freight Rail Innovation Institute” – and explicitly asks that “Congress and the Executive Branch should help create, coordinate, and co-fund” it, but it does not name any other specific pieces of legislation or regulations it has tried to influence. It outlines one clear mechanism for engagement, advocating a collaborative approach that brings together “government, industry, and academia,” and highlights named targets such as Congress, the Executive Branch, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad, and Carnegie Mellon University, yet it provides no further detail on meetings, submissions, or other channels that would show how it actually lobbies policymakers. By contrast, the company is very clear about the outcomes it seeks: it wishes to “significantly increase freight rail utilization, efficiency, and decarbonization,” develop “zero-emission battery and hydrogen hybrid locomotives,” raise freight-rail utilization “by more than 50%,” and pursue the longer-term goal of “eliminating up to 120 million tons of GHG emissions per year.” These measurable objectives illuminate why the firm is asking for government support, but the limited information about additional policies and the sparse description of its lobbying methods mean its overall disclosure is only moderate. 2
Lobbying Governance
Overall Assessment Comment Score
Limited Wabtec’s governance framework provides Board-level oversight of its advocacy but does not include a dedicated process to align lobbying with its climate strategy. The company states that “strategic decisions about particular advocacy positions are made at the highest levels and public policy expenditures are reviewed annually by the Board of Directors,” and that its Nominating and Governance Committee “assists the Board in its oversight of … public policy and advocacy efforts,” illustrating that advocacy activities are tracked and reviewed. It also notes collaboration with industry bodies, observing that “Wabtec collaborates with industry organizations such as Association of American Railroads (AAR) and Railsponsible” and that “key Wabtec employees serve on committees of these organizations and engage with industry peers on the issues surrounding the impact of climate change.” However, the company does not disclose any specific policy or procedure to ensure that either its direct lobbying or its engagement through trade associations aligns with its climate change goals, and it confirms that it has no commitment to align with the Paris Agreement and “does not plan to have one in the next two years.” 1