Greenhouse gas emissions and footprint
Our greenhouse gas footprint shows the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 to 3 that we emitted in one calendar year.
- Scope 1 and 2 include our greenhouse gas emissions from the operation of DB Group-owned vehicle fleet for rail and road transport and stationary facilities such as stations or depots.
- Scope 3 contains our indirect greenhouse gas emissions,such as from the purchase of goods and services.
| Absolute CO₂e emissionsby Scope 1 –3 / million t | 2024 | 2023 | Change | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute | % | ||||
| Scope 1 emissions 1) | 1.07 | 1.12 | –0.05 | –4.5 | 1.48 |
| Share of total emissions 1) (%) | 10.6 | 9.1 | +1.5 | – | 32.4 |
| Scope 2 emissions 1), 2) | 2.72 | 2.97 | –0.25 | –8.4 | 2.82 |
| Share of total emissions 1) (%) | 27.0 | 24.1 | +2.9 | – | 61.5 |
| Scope 3 emissions 1) | 6.32 | 8.23 | –1.91 | –23.2 | 0.28 |
| Share of total emissions 1) (%) | 62.4 | 66.8 | –4.4 | – | 6.1 |
| DB Group 1) | 10.11 | 12.32 | –2.21 | –17.9 | 4.58 |
| DB Group including discontinued operations 3), 4) | 19.94 | 23.59 | –3.65 | –15.5 | 17.11 |
| thereof discontinued operations 3), 4) | 9.83 | 11.28 | –1.45 | –12.9 | 12.53 |
| Scope 1 emissions 3) | 0.55 | 1.19 | –0.64 | –53.8 | 1.44 |
| Scope 2 emissions 2), 3) | 0.02 | 0.01 | +0.01 | +100 | 0.05 |
| Scope 3 emissions 3), 4) | 9.26 | 10.07 | –0.81 | –8.0 | 11.04 |
Scope 3 categories according to the GHGProtocol. Includes Scope 1, 2, 3.3 and 3.4 for 2022 in reference to ISO 14083 (greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations), upstream fuel- and energy-related emissions (Scope 3.3) are reported in Scope 1 and 2 for 2022.
From 2024, the material Scope 3 categories 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.11 are reported; these are also reported retrospectively for 2023.
Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
For discontinued operations without stationary consumption.
1) Figures for 2023 and 2022 adjusted due to the reclassification of DB Schenker and the sale of DB Arriva.
2) Determined using a market-based approach.
3) DB Arriva is only included in Scope 1, 2 and 3.3.
Excluding pre-carriage and on-carriage in air and ocean freight.
Retroactive inclusion of USA Truck (previous year’s figures adjusted).
4) Retrospective corrections in previous years at DB Schenker due to an improvement in the extrapolation methodology, resulting in lower values.
| Absolute Co₂e emissions Scope 3 by material categories / million t | 2024 | 2023 | Change | |
| absolute | % | |||
| Scope 3.1 and 3.2 emissions | 4.68 | 5.80 | –1.12 | –19.3 |
| Scope 3.3 emissions | 0.95 | 1.38 | –0.43 | –31.2 |
| Scope 3.4 emissions | 0.40 | 0.36 | +0.04 | +11.1 |
| Scope 3.11 emissions | 0.28 | 0.69 | –0.41 | –59.4 |
| DB Group | 6.32 | 8.23 | –1.91 | –23.2 |
| DB Group including discontinued operations 1) | 15.58 | 18.30 | –2.72 | –14.9 |
| Discontinued operations 1) | 9.26 | 10.07 | –0.81 | –8.0 |
Scope 3 categories in reference to the GHG Protocol (Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions). From 2024, the material Scope 3 categories 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.11 are reported; these are also reported retrospectively for 2023.
Transport-related emissions in connection with purchased goods and capital goods are taken into account in Scope 3.1 and 3.2.
Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
1) Including DB Schenker and DB Arriva. Excluding stationary consumption.
DB Arriva only included in Scope 3.3.
Excluding pre-carriage and on-carriage in air and ocean freight.
Retrospective inclusion of USA Truck (previous year’s figures adjusted).
Retrospective corrections in previous years at DB Schenker due to an improvement in the extrapolation methodology, resulting in lower values.
In 2024, Scope 1 and 2 emissions again decreased, largely due to a reduction in volume produced in rail freight and regional rail passenger transport and thus lower energy consumption, a lower greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity used in our electric rolling stock and stationary facilities and an increase in the use of the diesel substitute fuel HVO.
If the respective national electricity mixes are used as the basis for greenhouse gas accounting in accordance with the GHG Protocol, the Scope 2 emissions according to the location-based approach amount to 3.28 million t CO₂e.
The largest share of our greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 3 is attributable to subcontractors of the discontinued operation DB Schenker(category 3.4). Numerous measures are being adopted to reduce these:
- In its Preferred Carrier Program, DB Schenker prefers to work with shipping companies and airlines that operate modern fleets and attach importance to sustainability.
- DB Schenker is a premium member of the Smart Freight Center and is also part of its initiatives, such as the Clean Cargo Group and the Clean Air Transport Program, which set sector standards for the tracking and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for logistics.
- Advice on climate-friendly logistics for our customers is an integral part of DB Cargo’s service portfolio.
The absolute greenhouse gas emissions also form the basis for calculating our specific greenhouse gas emissions within the limits set for this purpose. They are also a benchmark for our efficiency improvement measures and provide a basis for us to compare our performance with other companies.
| Specific CO₂e emissions from DB Group journeys and transports | 2024 | 2023 | Change | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute | % | ||||
| DB Group | |||||
| Regional rail passenger transport in Germany (g/pkm) | 39.7 | 44.1 | –4.4 | –10.0 | 44.9 |
| Long-distance rail passenger transport in Germany (g/pkm) | 0.5 | 0.6 | –0.1 | –16.7 | 0.9 |
| Bus transport in Germany (g/pkm) | 95.4 | 93.8 | +1.6 | +1.7 | 110.5 |
| Rail freight transport (g/tkm) | 17.3 | 18.4 | –1.1 | –6.0 | 15.9 |
| thereof in Germany | 19.7 | 20.1 | –0.4 | –2.0 | 14.5 |
| Discontinued operations 1) | |||||
| Regional rail passenger transport (g/pkm) | 52.9 | 57.5 | –4.6 | –8.0 | 58.6 |
| Bus transport (g/pkm) | 49.0 | 56.7 | –7.7 | –13.6 | 62.1 |
| Road freight transport 2) (g/tkm) | 87.0 | 81.5 | +5.5 | +6.7 | 80.8 |
| Air freight 3) (g/tkm) | 676.4 | 674.2 | +2.2 | +0.3 | 666.9 |
| Ocean freight 3) (g/tkm) | 5.4 | 5.7 | –0.3 | –5.3 | 5.7 |
Well-to-wheel (WTW). Comprises Scope 1, 2, 3.3 and 3.4 in reference to ISO 14083 (greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations).
1) Including DB Schenker and DB Arriva.
2) Retrospective inclusion of USA Truck (previous year’s figures adjusted). Retrospective corrections in previous years due to an improvement in the extrapolation methodology, which leads to a higher value for 2022 and a lower value for 2023.
3) Excluding pre-carriage and on-carriage.
The improvement in specific emissions in regional rail passenger transport is due to higher utilization rate in the trains and, as a result, higher volume sold and a lower greenhouse gas intensity of the traction current used.
In long-distance passenger rail transport, the increasing use of HVO No. 164 instead of diesel had a positive effect.
The improvement in rail freight transport resulted from lower energy consumption and the increased use of HVO.
Methodology used for greenhouse gas accounting
The basis for the greenhouse gas accounting and the key figures presented are the final energy consumption and performance data collected and aggregated across the Group as well as the emission and energy factors used uniformly throughout DB Group. Sources for the factors and methods used are: Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg; ifeu), the accounting tool EcoTransIT World, the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt; UBA), the GHG Protocol, DIN EN ISO 14083 and DB Group’s own calculations. In the accounting of greenhouse gases, we take into account all relevant greenhouse gases in accordance with the GHG Protocol. In Scope 1, 2 and 3.3, 3.4 and 3.11, these are CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O. In Scope 3.1 and 3.2, the greenhouse gases CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆, NF₃ are taken into account using the spend-based approach. The respective global warming potential values are based on the IPCC’s 5 th Assessment Report (100-year GWP).
The Scope 2 emissions take into account market-based mechanisms. This means that this figure includes all contractually regulated instruments for generating and trading electricity from renewable energies. Accordingly, DB companies are taken into account – where applicable – with their own electricity mix (“market-based”), otherwise via the respective country mix (“location-based”). In accordance with the GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 guidelines on dual reporting, we also report our Scope 2 emissions according to the location-based method. We use the financial control approach to consolidate our greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the GHG Protocol.