Climate protection
Our contribution to climate protection
We aim to be climate-neutral by 2040..
On the road to a climate-neutral DB Group, we are using four main levers in the integrated rail system:
- Increase in the share of eco-power,
- Expansion of electrification,
- Diesel phase-out, and
- Start of the heat transition.
Management approach and climate protection target
We aim to be climate-neutral by 2040. Our target year is therefore five years ahead of the Federal Government’s target year for Germany becoming climate-neutral. In defining climate neutrality, we adhere to the net zero standard of the internationally recognized Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and thus follow a 1.5°C path to which we committed in 2022. By the end of 2024, we will have our climate protection target reviewed and confirmed by the SBTi on the basis of absolute greenhouse gas reduction paths using scientific criteria. We are also part of the UN’s Race to Zero initiative.
We have set ourselves ambitious milestones for this:
- In our buildings and stationary facilities, we have also started to switch the power supply to renewable energy sources. From 2025, we will be powering our depots, office buildings and stations in Germany with eco-power only.
- We want to increase the share of renewable energies in the DB traction current mix in Germany to 80% by 2030.
- In addition, we intend to cut specific greenhouse gas emissions globally by more than half by 2030 compared to 2006.
- We intend to have fully converted our train operating companies in Germany to eco-power by 2038 at the latest.
In 2023, we backed up our climate protection target with year-by-year greenhouse gas budgets for the Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions of the business units in the integrated rail system. From 2024, we will also monitor these accordingly during the business year. This means that we have a clearly defined greenhouse gas reduction path for these business units and their own assets used. For the expansion of these greenhouse gas budgets, we are currently developing a schedule for managing the relevant Scope 3 emissions. To this end, we have conducted a comprehensive Scope 3 screening for DB Group for the first time and identified the relevant categories. These are Scope 3.1 (purchased goods and services), 3.2 (capital goods), 3.4 (upstream transport and distribution) and 3.11 (use of sold products). The aim for Scope 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4 is to establish supplier engagement targets.
Greenhouse gas intensity
Specific CO₂e emissions in comparison to 2006 / % | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DB Group | –40.1 | –42.1 | –36.1 |
Excluding fleet vehicles, DB Schenker stationary divisions, and individual divisions of DB Cargo.
Excluding USA Truck.
In line with our climate protection target for 2023, we are slightly below the previous year’s figure in reducing our specific greenhouse gas emissions, but are within the scope of our forecast from the 2022 Integrated Report. The decline is mainly due to the deterioration in the greenhouse gas intensity in the 16.7 Hz traction current as a result of deterioration in the public electricity mix.
Overview of Greenhouse gas footprint
Absolute CO₂e emissions according to Scope 1 –3 / million t | 2023 | 2022 | Change | 2021 | |
absolute | % | ||||
Scope 1 emissions | 2.30 | 2.77 | –0.47 | –17.0 | 3.30 |
Share of total emissions (%) | 13.8 | 15.5 | –1.7 | – | 17.8 |
Scope 2 emissions 1) | 2.99 | 3.05 | –0.06 | –1.97 | 3.19 |
Share of total emissions (%) | 17.9 | 17.0 | +0.9 | – | 17.2 |
Scope 3 emissions 2) | 11.37 | 12.11 | –0.74 | –6.1 | 12.02 |
Share of total emissions (%) | 68.3 | 67.5 | +0.8 | – | 65.0 |
Total | 16.65 | 17.92 | –1.27 | –7.1 | 18.52 |
Well-to-wheel (WTW) Includes DB Arriva. Excluding pre-carriage and on-carriage in air and ocean freight. Excluding USA Truck. In 2021, rail freight transport from/to China by DB Cargo and DB Schenker may have included double accounting, and so these values may be slightly higher.
Upstream fuel and energy-related emissions (Scope 3.3 according to GHG Protocol) are reported in Scopes 1 and 2. Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
1) Determined by taking a market-based approach.
2) Category 3.4 emissions according to the GHG protocol.
In 2023, DB Group’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions fell significantly. This is mainly due to volume development at DB Schenker in ocean and air freight, as well as land transport. As a result of the increase in the greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity trade mix we procured in Germany, greenhouse gas emissions in regional rail passenger transport and rail freight transport and our stationary facilities have increased, despite an improvement in energy efficiency in train operating companies. Transport services in global rail freight transport (in particular from/to China) decreased sharply as a result of the Ukraine war, resulting in a decline in rail freight transport.
Outlook
Climate protection in the Stron Rail strategy top targets:
Anticipated development | 2023 | 2024 |
Absolute greenhouse gas emissions Scope 1 and 2 (Integrated Rail System) 1), 3), 4) (million t) | 3.3 | ~ 3.2 |
Share of renewable energies in the DB traction current mix in Germany 5) (%) | 68 | ~ 69 |
1) Newly included in 2024 as a Strong Rail targetµ 56 ff.
2) Figure converted to grade in 2023.
3) Not including non-material small Group companies and subsidiaries in the Integrated Rail System.
4) 2023 value audited with limited assurance
5) Die Daten für 2023 bilden eine Prognose mit Stand Februar 2024 ab. Seit 2023 erfolgt die gesonderte Darstellung des EE-Anteils ohne EEG-Förderung.
- Our absolute greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 and 2 (Integrated Rail System) are set to decline slightly, due in particular to the further implementation of reduction measures, such as the further greening of traction current.
- In order to reduce the level of greenhouse gas in the DB traction current mix in Germany, we intend to further increase the share of renewable energies. A slight increase is expected.