Increasing the share of renewable energies (lever 1)

• Traction current: By 2038 at the latest, we want to operate electrified DB rail transport in Germany entirely with electricity from renewable energies. Since 2018, passengers of DB Long-Distance in Germany have been using electrified rail transport with electricity from 100 % renewable energy sources. TÜV SÜD recertified the use of 100 % eco-power for these journeys in 2025. In 2025, we further increased the share of renewable energies in the DB traction current mix in Germany based on preliminary figures. The development of a diversified portfolio of renewable energies and energy storage systems for an economical and secure energy supply with a growing share of renewable energies is a core element of DB Energy’s procurement. Having concluded additional long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) in 2025, we will continue to expand the share of renewable energies in the DB traction current mix in Germany in the future. Eight new PPAs were concluded in 2025. The portfolio is also supplemented by a new power storage agreement (PSA), an agreement on the use of storage capacities. Further information can be found in the combined management report under Environmental actions in the DB Energy business unit.
• Stationary facilities: Since the beginning of 2025, all stations, maintenance depots, office buildings and stationary facilities in Germany that are supplied by DB Energy have been provided with 100 % eco-power. This also includes interlockings, switch heaters and trackside lighting. Since January 2024, photovoltaic systems have generally been installed on new and replacement platform roofs, provided they are economically and technically feasible. As of the end of 2025, 24 platform roofs with photovoltaic systems were in the planning phase. In 2025, we developed a guide for action that supports the implementation of climate-friendly measures in construction projects in accordance with the General Railways Act (Allgemeines Eisenbahngesetz; AEG).
• Heat transition: On the path to climate neutrality by 2040, DB Group also intends to switch to renewable energies for heat generation. We are working on various plans and actions to achieve this. When oil heating systems in our buildings in Germany reach the end of their life cycle, they will be replaced by climate-friendly alternatives. At our stations, two projects were implemented in 2025 in which a fossil fuel heating system was replaced by a renewable heat supply. Furthermore, additional measures for renewable heat generation are currently in the conceptual phase at 38 locations. At the end of 2025, for example, the Dortmund-Hafen ICE depot was under construction. This will be fully supplied with energy from more climate-friendly energy sources in the future. In addition to a geothermal system to heat the entire building, a photovoltaic system on the roof will cover about 60 % of the electricity requirements. The remaining electricity requirements will be covered by purchased eco-power. The depot is scheduled to go into operation in 2027.

Diesel phase-out and electrification (lever 2)

The “Diesel phase-out rail” program is a Group-wide development and implementation program and the second of four levers for achieving our net-zero target. In particular, it is coordinating the ramp-up of the biofuel HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) as a means of achieving significant greenhouse gas savings in the short term. In addition, alternative, low-emission drive technologies are being tested as part of pilot projects with the aim of establishing Group-wide standards in the long term.

• Electrification of the DB rail network: More than 90 % of our rail transports in Germany are already carried out electrically (based on weight-related ton kilometers; Ltkm). We want to further increase this share together with the Federal Government. By 2030, the share of the electrified rail network in Germany (length of line operated) is set to increase to about 63 %. In 2025, work began on expanding the High Rhine Railway, 75 km thereof is to be electrified between Basel Badischer Bahnhof and Erzingen (Baden) by 2027. Despite the ongoing electrification of the DB rail network, there will still be lines in the future on which freight and passengers cannot be transported electrically, for example due to special geographical or operational features. In these cases, DB Group is adopting an approach that is open to all technologies, with the use of alternative drives and fuels to replace fossil diesel.
• Use of alternative fuels: Alternative fuels allow diesel vehicles to continue to be used with lower emissions without having to be technically converted. This is sustainable and conserves resources, as it means that functional trains and locomotives do not have to be taken out of service prematurely. DB Group is currently focusing on the biofuel HVO as a transitional technology. The increased use of HVO should significantly reduce the need for conventional diesel in the coming years. The HVO used by DB Group is produced exclusively from biological residues and waste materials and generates about 90 % fewer accounted greenhouse gas emissions than conventional diesel according to producer information. We pressed ahead with the HVO ramp-up in 2025. The volume of HVO used in DB Group in 2025 amounted to 23.4 million liters (previous year: 20.7 million liters). This corresponded to about 6 % of the total fuel consumption of diesel vehicles in 2025.
• Use of alternative drives: Alternative drives are low-emission alternatives to pure diesel drives. Together with Siemens Mobility, we have tested an innovative complete hydrogen system comprising a filling station and train and maintenance infrastructure that is used on non-electrified lines. On partially electrified lines, battery trains and the associated charging and maintenance infrastructure are used for light rail cars in local transport. In addition to a current collector for the overhead wire, battery trains have an accumulator that works like a rechargeable battery. On non-electrified lines or sections, the train draws its energy from the charged battery, making it climate-friendly even without an overhead wire. DB Group relies on flexible transitional solutions for long-distance and heavy goods transport. With the gradual introduction of modern dual-mode locomotives, which can be operated both electrically and using diesel, continuous transport chains can be realized without traction change. Electric operation is used on electrified sections, while diesel is only used on non-electrified sections. Having been in service with DB Cargo since 2023, the delivery of dual-mode locomotives for DB Long-Distance began in December 2025. By the end of 2025, 79 of the overall 167 dual-power locomotives had been delivered to the two business units and were largely in operation.
• Electrification of vehicle components: In addition to traction motors, separate working motors are used in work vehicles for various work applications, such as for lifting platforms or compressors. In a pilot project at DB InfraGO, the working motor on a contact wire maintenance vehicle will be converted from diesel to battery-electric operation for the first time by mid-2026 and then tested in practical operation. If the approach proves successful, further older combustion engines will be successively replaced by electric motors so that the working motors of existing vehicles can also be operated emission-free.

Energy efficiency (lever 3)

Using energy as efficiently as possible also helps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The core task of the “Green Rail Technology” program that was initiated in 2023 is to make technical innovations usable, test them and scale them up in the overall system in order to combine and effectively improve sustainability and profitability in the short term. The program is being implemented on an ongoing basis. This entails about 330,000 technical facilities, about 10,000 vehicles and about 83,000 freight wagons. In 2025, the focus was on the implementation and further development of projects for energy optimization and the use of alternative fuels. DB Regional intends to reduce the electricity consumption of the air conditioning systems in order to lower traction energy requirements. Among other things, a load-dependent control system is to be retrofitted in vehicles from the 423 series. The corresponding approval processes were completed in 2025 and the conversion is scheduled to take place in 2026.

• Efficient vehicles and efficient driving: In order to increase the energy efficiency of its rolling stock, DB Group relies on occupancy-independent, that is automatic air-conditioning control and the feeding of braking energy into the overhead wire, among other things. In 2025, the recovery rate increased to 20.2 % (previous year: 18.7 %). The slight increase is mainly due to the commissioning of additional new multiple units and electric locomotives. We can also reduce our energy requirements through energy-saving driving behavior. To this end, we fit our vehicles with driver assistance systems such as LEADER (Locomotive Engineer Assist Display and Event Recorder) at DB Cargo and RESY (RegioEnergiesparsystem) at DB Regional. At DB Cargo, these systems are continuously installed in diesel main line locomotives and electric locomotives in Germany. Further information can be found in the combined management report under Environmental measures in the DB Cargo business unit.
• Efficient buildings and facilities: In order to increase the efficiency of stationary buildings and facilities in Germany, DB Group is automating manual work steps and optimizing processes, among other things. For example, self-closing hall gates help to reduce heat loss and conserve heating energy. In December 2025, the conversion of five gates at the DB Regional depot in Hanover was completed. This means that a total of 50 gates at over ten DB Regional depots have now been equipped with the automated control system and the project has been completed for the time being. The introduction of innovative paint systems that dry at room temperature also saves energy costs and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2025, we implemented key actions and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our own operations and, in particular, along our value chain with regard to our Scope 3 emissions.

Management of Scope 3 emissions

In 2024, we developed a plan for managing and reducing our Scope 3 emissions along the value chain. This was based on an analysis of the 15 Scope 3 categories of the GHG Protocol. The material categories for DB Group were identified on this basis. Building on this, key sources of emissions were identified and levers and measures to reduce emissions were developed. These will be implemented in the coming years. One focus is on data transparency, and in particular the improved availability of primary data through standardized and increasingly digital processes. By 2030, the most emission-intensive product groups will be mapped in a central IT system for this purpose. The data basis was developed further in 2025, meaning that we now have primary data for all contractually bound rail steel suppliers. In addition, the Scope 3 emissions management plan deals with viable financing solutions for climate-friendly procurement and capital expenditures as well as the gradual integration of climate protection criteria into procurement processes. Another aspect is supplier engagement, which supports the targeted collection of primary data and joint measures with suppliers to reduce Scope 3 emissions. In this context, we support our suppliers in developing their own science-based climate protection targets. Further information on our supplier engagement target (SET) can be found under Targets (E1-4).

Using emission-reduced building materials (lever 4)

Together with the Federal Government, DB Group is investing heavily in the modernization of the rail infrastructure. In order to reduce the resulting greenhouse gas emissions, DB Group is seeking to make greater use of emission-reduced building materials – the fourth of our four levers for achieving our climate protection target.

• Railmap project: As part of the “Railmap climate-neutral rail infrastructure” project, we are taking action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the construction and maintenance of rail infrastructure. In 2025, in conjunction with the BMV and the Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt; EBA), we obtained a grant for a pilot project to build a rail overpass using emission-reduced concrete. The tender and award procedure took place in fall 2025 and construction is scheduled to begin in 2026. A project-specific funding commitment for a further pilot project was also obtained with the BMV. The aim is to complete the first legal approval steps for the inclusion of various emission-reduced concretes and to incorporate them into DB Group’s regulations so that they can be used as a standard construction material in the future. The construction of a retaining wall using these innovative concretes is set to begin in 2026 as part of a pilot project.

The use of emission-reduced steel is also an important factor for us in achieving our climate protection target. In 2025, we installed emission-reduced steel for the first time in a pilot project with a steel manufacturer. Further information can be found in the combined management report under Environmental actions in the DB InfraGO business unit.

• “Sustainable stations”: A new, particularly climate-friendly station building was completed in Bitterfeld in 2025. With the recycled aluminum used during construction, a photovoltaic system that covers 100 % of the building’s electricity requirements, a green roof and a more climate-friendly district heating supply, the station building is one of DB Group’s most sustainable concourse buildings. The project represents an important step in the area of emission-reduced construction and was implemented for the first time with funds from the Coal Regions Investment Act (Investitionsgesetz Kohleregionen; InvKG). The “Little green stations” program is being developed further at the same time. Five additional locations are currently in the planning phase. The first two pilot sites in Zorneding and Haar received the Brunel Award for outstanding design in the railway sector in September 2025. The “little green station” represents a new generation of station buildings that are built and operated in a more climate-friendly manner. Regional and natural building materials are predominantly used, thereby already leading to CO₂e savings of about 50 % during construction.
• More climate-friendly floor coverings: The “Climate-friendly floor coverings” project at stations was launched in April 2025. Nine different floor coverings will be tested for a year under real conditions on the station forecourt in Berlin Südkreuz in order to evaluate their mechanical, chemical and visual properties in practice. The various coverings can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60 %.
• Railway Construction Initiative for the Future: With the Railway Construction Initiative for the Future (Zukunftsinitiative Bahnbau; ZIB), we want to contribute to further increasing the recycling rates for rail construction materials and strengthen climate and resource protection in rail construction. Together with planners, construction associations and the rail construction industry, we are working on solutions in the “green planning, construction and operation” cluster. In the previous year, application aids for geotechnical earthworks were created within the ZIB. These were published in 2025 and rolled out in DB Group’s construction projects through accompanying intra-Group communication measures. Work has now begun on a joint “green planning” working group in which necessary adjustments will be made to the target agreements for infrastructure projects in order to reduce emissions and conserve resources. The “Transformation to climate-neutral rail infrastructure” symposium took place in December 2025. Among other things, this included a dialog and the start of the configuration of the “Pioneering field for Deutsche Bahn.” This is, in connection with the development of leading markets for low-emission raw materials, included in the coalition agreement and in the BMV’s “Agenda for Satisfied Rail Customers”.

We are taking various actions to prepare for increasing extreme weather events, for example heat, storms, heavy rain and gravitative natural hazards. To this end, we are continuing to further develop our climate resilience management both strategically and operationally. The implementation of climate change adaptation measures is made possible both by DB Group’s own funds and by funds from financing agreements with the Federal Government.

Climate-resilient rail technology

The overall implementation of “climate-resilient rail technology” aims to adapt rail technology facilities in Germany to the consequences of climate change and reduce climate-related residual risks. DB Cargo, DB Energy, DB Long-Distance, DB InfraGO, DB Regional, DB Vehicle Maintenance and DB AG are involved in the overall implementation.

In 2025, the facilities identified as priorities in the previous year were subjected to a quantitative climate risk analysis. One key lever for anchoring climate resilience in the long term is the adaptation of technical standards. To this end, the 30 most important technical standards from 379 external standards classified as relevant were prioritized in 2025. Based on a multidimensional catalog of criteria, these are the standards with the greatest need for adaptation so that new facilities throughout the entire sector can be designed in accordance with climate-friendly requirements. The assessment forms the basis for DB Group’s targeted involvement in upcoming revisions of relevant technical standards. In addition, the financial impact for DB Group due to damage that has already occurred and projected future damage caused by climate change was examined and assessed in 2025.

One important outcome of the overall implementation of “climate-resilient rail technology” in 2025 was external recognition in the form of the BCI Europe Award in the “Collaboration in Resilience” category. Networks with research and development, Federal agencies, ministries, industry and other users were established and public positioning was strengthened in order to support strategic development and cross-sector exchange.

Wetter@DB weather application

With the central weather application Wetter@DB 2.0, DB Group is pursuing the goal of providing a reliable weather database throughout the Group and thus making weather-sensitive rail operations more robust, effective and energy-efficient. The central functions include an eight-day forecast, hourly provision of 28 meteorological parameters at about 17,000 operating points, early alerts with up to 48 hours’ notice and meteorologically verified situation reports. Compared to the previous application, the new version offers improved spatial coverage, longer forecast periods and greater data precision, which increases its usability for operational decisions. In 2025, a new module specifically geared toward the use cases of the Berlin S-Bahn (metro) was integrated into the application, meaning that warnings of complex dynamic weather situations such as thunderstorms can now also be issued precisely and accurately. As a central application, Wetter@DB 2.0 is being continuously developed.

Research and development

DB Group is actively involved in research projects and scientific networks with the aim of incorporating findings on climate change impacts and resilience into the further development of its own infrastructure. One example is the “RailVitaliTree” project coordinated by the German Center for Rail Traffic Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Schienenverkehrsforschung; DZSF), which is developing a vitality monitor to record the health of trees in the vicinity of rail tracks. It is investigating the growth of trees at 12 locations in Germany on the basis of dendroecological studies (tree ring analyses) and microclimatic measurements. In 2025, a further two drone flights were conducted, 640 core samples were taken and four weather stations were established. In addition, the vitality monitor prototype was further developed in order to achieve greater sensitivity. The results of the project are expected at the end of 2026. In addition, DB Group continuously supports the BMV research network by providing data and technical expertise. The network promotes the exchange between science, industry and administration and addresses topics such as climate change impacts and adaptation.

Climate proofing

Climate resilience is also increasingly becoming a focus for new construction and expansion projects in the rail infrastructure. Since July 2024, the European guides for ensuring the climate compatibility of future infrastructure projects of common European interest have required mandatory climate proofing. This procedure ensures that both climate protection and climate resilience concerns are taken into account. DB InfraGO voluntarily carried out comprehensive climate proofing for selected major projects as early as 2023. Since 2024, qualified expert offices have been supporting the implementation of the projects concerned. The first climate proofing projects began in 2025. In addition, an action guide is to be developed by 2026 in order to support projects with standardized implementation.

Vegetation management along the tracks

Against the backdrop of increasingly extreme weather events, vegetation management along rail tracks is becoming even more important. For example, about two-thirds of the rail network is lined with trees. In order to increase the resilience of the infrastructure, DB Group is developing a new, climate-change-adapted approach to vegetation control on rail tracks with the “Storm-proof rail” mission statement. The approach envisages the clearer spatial structuring and maintenance of trackside vegetation in three maintenance zones. The height of trees and shrubs should be limited across all zones so that a safe distance from the track is maintained (“critical height”).

• In the intensive pruning zone, the area immediately adjacent to the track must be kept free from trees and shrubs.
• This is followed by the extensive pruning zone with carefully tended, native and low-growing shrubs, which are intended to strengthen biodiversity and create new habitats. This is to be monitored by means of an annual vegetation check.
• In turn, this is followed by the stabilization zone, which is to be maintained every five years.

With this approach, DB Group is pursuing the goal of ensuring the safety of rail operations even under changing climate conditions while simultaneously strengthening biodiversity. This includes the clearer spatial structuring and maintenance of trackside vegetation and the targeted use of environmentally valuable plants adapted to the respective location. The new approach has been tested for the first time since fall 2025 on the Hamburg — Berlin high-speed corridor as part of the corridor modernization.

Axle counters with temperature loggers

To protect sensitive command and control technology against increasingly lengthy and intensive heatwaves, DB System Technology and DB InfraGO fitted about 100 axle counters with temperature loggers in a pilot project initiated in 2024. These measured temperature fluctuations in their interior housings up until October 2025. The evaluation of the data collected, which began in 2025, is intended to show whether there is a correlation between air temperature and other location factors and the internal temperature of the axle counters. Following a comparison with forecast temperature peaks, a subsequent investigation will be carried out in 2026 to establish whether the technologies tested in a predecessor project in 2022 and 2023 are suitable for use in the German network. The pilot project is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Climate-resilient station environments

DB InfraGO is also working on the development of climate-resilient station environments in order to increase the comfort and safety of passengers and to strengthen the resilience of stations to extreme weather events. In cooperation with municipalities, the aim is to create livable and climate-adapted public spaces.

In the Hamburg-Harburg station forecourt model project, a comprehensive approach with a focus on rainwater management and heat prevention is being piloted with measures for climate-resilient forecourt design. A feasibility study for the location was carried out in 2025. The start of the construction phase is scheduled for 2027. Further pilot projects are to be carried out successively.

We will continue our actions in the areas of energy, climate protection and climate change adaptation as described.