Our contribution toclimate
protection

The Federal Government’s climate protection targets

In order to meet the national and European climate protection targets, the Federal Government and the German Parliament passed a comprehensive climate protection package in 2021. It has set legally binding climate protection targets and annually decreasing emissions levels for the energy, industry, buildings, transport, agriculture and waste management sectors.

Binding measures

Fulfilment of national and European climate protection targets

CO2 reduction targets for all economic and socially relevant areas

Annual performance review and the obligation to perform comprehensive post-control

Implementation of a completely climate-neutral Federal Administration by 2030

Federal Government CO2 reduction targets

In 2019, the Federal Government designated the decarbonization of industry, green hydrogen, energy-efficient building renovation, sustainable forestry and agriculture, and climate-friendly mobility as funding targets with its Climate Action Program 2030 and a supplementary immediate action program. The new Federal Government has confirmed the targets and announced an immediate action program for 2022 to step up its climate protection efforts. The goal is to achieve climate neutrality for Germany by 2045.

-65%by 2030

By 2030, Germany aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 65% compared to 1990.

-88%by 2040

A reduction target of at least 88% compared to 1990 has been set for 2040.

-100%by 2045

By the year 2045 Germany is to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality.

Share of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany in 1990 by sector Total: 1,249 million t of CO2e

Energy industry:37%
Industry23%
Buildings17%
Transport13%
Other10%

2019 (before Covid-19)

  • –35% (2020: –41%)
    greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990
  • 0% (2020: –11%)
    greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector compared to 1990
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Our contribution to climate protection

Germany and Europe’s climate protection targets can only be achieved if there is a shift in mobility towards a strong rail. For this reason, we have brought our own climate protection target forward by ten years: we aim to be climate-neutral by 2040. Compared with other modes of transport in Germany, only rail has made a consistently positive contribution to climate protection since 1990. Over the past 30 years, we have made a significant contribution to climate protection by reducing CO₂ emissions by about 70%. On the path to climate neutrality, we have set ourselves ambitious milestones.

2025

100% eco-power in all depots, office buildings and stations in Germany

2030

Reduce specific CO₂e emissions by 50% compared to 2006 and achieve 80% renewable energies in the traction current mix

2038

100% renewable energies in the entire traction current mix

2040

Climate-neutral company

Our key measures

From 2022: start of the heat transition, for example by developing concepts for climate-neutral heat supply for our top 50 locations and gradually replacing oil-fired heating systems.

Expansion of the share of renewable energies to 100% eco-power by 2038

With a tailwind from Helgoland: the traction current mix is becoming even greener

DB Group is consistently transforming its electricity mix in a sustainable way with even more wind power. With the 15-year agreement to purchase energy supplied by the Amrumbank-West offshore wind farm off Helgoland, about 190 GWh of additional power will be purchased each year from 2025. This quantity alone corresponds to the electricity needs for almost six days of electric rail operations throughout Germany. With the conclusion of this agreement, DB Group currently accounts for about one-third of the German market for eco-power contracts not subsidized by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz; EEG), known as PPA contracts. The agreement will also save up to 153,000 t of CO₂ each year in comparison to electricity supplied by coal power.

Further electrification of our infrastructure

Electrification of the Southern Railway completed

About 90% of DB Group’s passenger and freight transport services are already provided electrically. A key step on the path to climate neutrality is the electrification of further lines. For example, the trains on one of the oldest railway lines in Baden-Württemberg are now running continuously on electricity. After four years of construction, electrification of the Southern Railway along the Ulm―Friedrichshafen―Lindau section was completed in December 2021.

Phasing out of fossil fuels and introduction of new drives

Alternative fuels for greater sustainability

DB Group operates two advanced TrainLabs to test the latest rail transport technologies. These currently run on renewable fuel without requiring any adjustments to the vehicle or fuel infrastructure. The fuel, known as HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) consists of 100% converted biological residues and waste materials, such as used cooking oil. Modern chemical processes put the waste products into the tank: they are filtered, cleaned and processed into a high-quality synthetic fuel.

Innovative hybrid shunting locomotive

DB Cargo’s locomotive fleet is becoming more modern and efficient. Gradually, all existing diesel locomotives will be replaced by modern, climate-friendly machines with alternative drives. In addition to the 146 dual-power track locomotives ordered from Siemens and the up to 100 Toshiba hybrid locomotives, a framework agreement was concluded in December 2021 for up to 250 locomotives from Vossloh Locomotives GmbH. 50 vehicles of these have been ordered for 2024. The new shunting locomotives are plug-in hybrid models and have ample engine power with state-of-the-art emissions control. The drive systems have a modular design and can be exchanged when the technology develops. The Federal Government is participating in the initial order with funding of up to € 15 million.

Innovative hybrid shunting locomotive

DB Cargo’s locomotive fleet is becoming more modern and efficient. Gradually, all existing diesel locomotives will be replaced by modern, climate-friendly machines with alternative drives. In addition to the 146 dual-power track locomotives ordered from Siemens and the up to 100 Toshiba hybrid locomotives, a framework agreement was concluded in December 2021 for up to 250 locomotives from Vossloh Locomotives GmbH. 50 vehicles of these have been ordered for 2024. The new shunting locomotives are plug-in hybrid models and have ample engine power with state-of-the-art emissions control. The drive systems have a modular design and can be exchanged when the technology develops. The Federal Government is participating in the initial order with funding of up to € 15 million.

Expansion of climate-neutral freight and logistics services

Climate-neutral transport solutions

The state-of-the-art Automotive Logistics Center was officially opened in February 2022. The Center for Battery Logistics is the hub of the climate-neutral logistics concept for the battery systems of the new Mercedes EQ model. Starting in 2022, DB Cargo will transport the systems using climate-neutral solutions over about 650 km to the assembly line at the Mercedes-Benz factory. The logistics hub enables DB Cargo to shunt trains right up to the production hall and unload them there.

Expansion of the electric fleet

DB Schenker and Volta Trucks have agreed on a partnership, and DB Schenker has pre-ordered about 1,500 full-electric Volta Zero commercial vehicles – the biggest order for large emissions-free trucks in Europe to date. As part of the partnership, DB Schenker will use the first prototypes of Volta Zero trucks in real distribution conditions in 2022. The findings from these tests will be incorporated into the serial production of the vehicles. The full-electric 16 ton Volta Zero will be used, among other things, in the Ruhrgebiet region and at other DB Schenker European terminals to transport goods from distribution centers to inner cities and urban areas.

Expansion of the electric fleet

DB Schenker and Volta Trucks have agreed on a partnership, and DB Schenker has pre-ordered about 1,500 full-electric Volta Zero commercial vehicles – the biggest order for large emissions-free trucks in Europe to date. As part of the partnership, DB Schenker will use the first prototypes of Volta Zero trucks in real distribution conditions in 2022. The findings from these tests will be incorporated into the serial production of the vehicles. The full-electric 16 ton Volta Zero will be used, among other things, in the Ruhrgebiet region and at other DB Schenker European terminals to transport goods from distribution centers to inner cities and urban areas.

Next topic:Innovations increase the attractiveness of the green rails

From 2022: start of the heat transition, for example by developing concepts for climate-neutral heat supply for our top 50 locations and gradually replacing oil-fired heating systems.

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Innovations increase the attractiveness of the green rails

For DB Group, building a bridge between tradition and innovation is a key factor for success. Technological innovation and the digitalization of processes and customer-oriented services will determine what happens in the next few years. A substantial contribution to climate protection in Germany and Europe is made by shifting the mode of transport to climate-friendly rail.

Our targets

Expansion of the ICE fleet

New high-speed trains

With the ICE 3neo, our ICE fleet will grow to a total of about 450 trains by the end of the decade. The 73 new trains will increase the daily number of seats available to DB Long-Distance passengers by a further 32,000. With this increase in fleet, we will have the capacity to run the schedule envisaged for Germany in sync by 2030. The first ICE 3neo will be in use by the end of 2022.

Shaping the regional transport of the future

IdeasTrainCity: the S-Bahn (metro) of the future

The situation in public transport, and thus passengers’ needs, varies depending on the time of day. In order to master the balancing act between capacity and a comfort, the IdeasTrainCity (IdeenzugCity) concept was developed and demonstrates innovative solutions that can be used to increase the quality and capacity of climate-friendly rail transport in local transport.

Increased productivity in rail freight transport

Digital automatic coupling will strengthen single wagon transport in the future

In European rail freight transport, the coupling process for freight cars is almost exclusively still carried out manually – this is both difficult and time-consuming. Digital automatic coupling (DAC) automatically connects two freight cars to each other. It establishes a mechanical connection between the cars without the employees having to shunt them manually. There is now a technical agreement across Europe for the DAC standard – but the financing for this task of the century has yet to be determined. DB Cargo alone couples about 54,000 cars and trains each day in Germany. By 2030, this is to be changed to digital coupling. In total, about 400,000 coupling processes are completed each day in European rail freight transport.

Automation of rail transport

First highly automated S-Bahn (metro) in passenger service

Demand for local public transport, especially in metropolitan areas, is set to rise sharply. In order to create the necessary capacity for rising demand, S-Bahn (metro) operations must be digitalized. DB Group and Siemens unveiled the first four modified trains at the ITS World Congress in October 2021. On a 23-km-long line equipped for this purpose, one of the trains on the S21 line ran in highly automated passenger operations. The four modified trains will commence regular operations in 2022, with another 64 vehicles being fitted with “ATO over ETCS” in future.

Next topic:With record capital expenditures, we create the basis for growth
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With record capital expenditures, we create the basis for growth

More train-paths and more trains: we are massively expanding our capacity to achieve sustainable growth and high quality.

In the next five years, we will invest:

€ 12 billionin passenger transport

€ 65 billionin infrastructure

€ 3 billionin freight transport

Our challenges in the coming years

The rail infrastructure has already reached its load limit at key hubs.

The rail infrastructure has already reached its load limit at key hubs.

The growth in rail transport forecast for the next few years will temporarily exacerbate the situation. We intend to use extensive measures to avoid any impairment of service quality.

In order to create the necessary capacity for further growth, together with the Federal Government we are investing at a record level this decade. The expansion of our fleet is also a top priority.

Construction activity in the network is therefore likely to remain at a very high level, presenting major challenges to infrastructure, the construction industry and transport companies.

In order to increase transport density and reliability, the shift to digital rail operations and digitalization of infrastructure and vehicles is essential.

Next topic:The DB team is the driving force behind the shift in the mode of transport
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The DB team is the driving force behind the shift in the mode of transport

The recruitment of new employees and the improvement of working conditions are a fundamental part of our Strong Rail strategy, and a key prerequisite for the growth of rail transport.

Future-proof working environment

We are working intensively on improving our working environments and drawing on experiences from the Covid-19 pandemic. Mobile working is firmly integrated into everyday working life.

Diversity as a strength

We are as colorful as society. More than 330,000 people from more than 100 different nationalities currently work together at DB Group. Diversity is anchored as an overarching interdisciplinary theme in the Strong Rail strategy and is taken into account in all decisions.

Facing challenges together

The Covid-19 pandemic, the floods in Germany and the ongoing flow of refugees as a result of the war in Ukraine have presented Team DB with challenges of historic proportions within a very short space of time. Our employees have risen to these challenges with impressive resolve. Ensuring mobility and logistics during the Covid-19 pandemic, repairing flood damage, transporting and caring for refugees, and building a rail bridge to transport aid supplies to Ukraine are evidence of their tremendous commitment and readiness to help.

Next topic:Strong Rail


German and European climate protection targets can only be achieved by a shift in the mode of transport towards rail. Achieving this ambitious target requires a joint effort from us, the entire industry and politicians. By implementing our Strong Rail strategy, we are realizing central transport and climate policy projects of the Federal Government in order to meet our social responsibility and responsibility towards future generations.

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