Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions (E1-6)

Degree of target achievement for the 2040 DB climate protection target

¹⁾ Until 2024, only includes DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH from the Subsidiaries/Other area and only DB Cargo AG and foreign subsidiaries without their stationary facilities from DB Cargo, and not DB Energy.
²⁾ Including the Scope 3 categories 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.11 that are material for DB Group. In 2025, the Scope 3.4 category was expanded for the first time to includetransport-related emissions in connection with purchased goods and capital goods.

We were able to further reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions compared to the base year 2019, in particular through the complete transition of the electricity supply to 100 % renewable energies for our stationary facilities and buildings in Germany supplied by DB Energy. The reduction was primarily driven by the higher share of renewable energies in the DB traction current mix in Germany.

Scope 3 emissions are still below the 2019 level, but have increased compared to the previous year. Against the backdrop of the spend-based estimation approach, the main driver is the significant increase in procurement volumes, particularly for construction services, for example for the construction and conversion of tracks and switches, tunnels, bridges and retaining structures as well as platforms (Scope 3.1/3.2). The interim targets for 2034 in Scope 3.3 and 3.11 were still achieved.

In 2025, we asked our suppliers of purchased goods and services and capital goods (Scope 3.1/3.2) about their climate protection targets for the first time. In 2025, the share of suppliers with science-based emissions targets was about 20 %.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Until 2024, only includes DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH from the Subsidiaries/Other area and only DB Cargo AG and foreign subsidiaries without their stationary facilities from DB Cargo, and not DB Energy. 
¹⁾ Including the Scope 3 categories 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.11 that are material for DB Group. In 2025, the Scope 3.4 category was expanded for the first time to include transport-related emissions in connection with purchased goods and capital goods.

There was a significant overall decrease in Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2025. The main drivers for this were the complete transition of the electricity supply for our stationary facilities and buildings in Germany supplied by DB Energy to 100 % renewable energies, as well as the lower volume produced in rail freight transport and the associated reduction in energy consumption. In Scope 3.1 and 3.2, greenhouse gas emissions increased by about 30 %. Against the backdrop of the spend-based estimation approach, the reason for the sharp rise is the significant increase in procurement volumes. This is due to significantly higher expenditure on construction services for rail infrastructure.

The increase in Scope 3.4 greenhouse gas emissions is due to the inclusion of the additional transport services purchased by DB Cargo in 2025 beyond the rail freight services to and from Asia that were previously included.

In the base year 2019, greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 1.3 million t for Scope 1, to 2.9 million t for Scope 2 (market-based) and to 7.9 million t for Scope 3.

The absolute greenhouse gas emissions also form the basis for calculating our specific greenhouse gas emissions within the limits established 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.

In 2024, total energy consumption only includes DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH from the Subsidiaries/Other area and only DB Cargo AG and foreign subsidiaries withouttheir stationary facilities from DB Cargo, and not DB Energy.

The greenhouse gas intensity of DB Group, measured as the ratio of Scope 1 to 3 greenhouse gas emissions to revenues (in accordance with IFRS 15), increased in 2025. Significantly higher Scope 3.1 and 3.2 greenhouse gas emissions from the procurement of goods, services and capital goods were only partially offset by increased revenues.

In 2024, only includes DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH from the Subsidiaries/Other area and only DB Cargo AG and foreign subsidiaries without their stationary facilities from DB Cargo, and not DB Energy.

Biogenic CO₂ emissions, that is physical emissions from the combustion of fuels of biogenic origin, increased in 2025. This was mainly due to the increased use of the biofuel HVO.

Well-to-wheel (WTW). Until 2024 excluding refrigerant losses.

• The strong increase in specific greenhouse gas emissions in regional rail passenger transport is primarily due to the higher greenhouse gas intensity of the traction current purchased by DB Regional Rail and higher diesel consumption as a result of the commissioning of the Central Germany diesel network. This effect was only slightly offset by an increase in volume sold.
• In long-distance rail passenger transport, the increase in specific greenhouse gas emissions, which remain at a very low level, is due to the first-time inclusion of climate-relevant refrigerant losses in the air conditioning systems of long-distance trains. The increase in volume sold had an opposing positive effect at DB Long-Distance.
• The specific greenhouse gas emissions from bus transport increased due to a slightly higher rise in diesel consumption compared to volume sold, as well as the first-time inclusion of refrigerant losses.
• The improvement in specific greenhouse gas emissions in rail freight transport in Germany was mainly due to the lower greenhouse gas intensity of the traction current purchased by DB Cargo.

Methodology used for greenhouse gas accounting

The basis for the greenhouse gas accounting and the metrics presented are the final energy consumption, data on additional causes of emissions and performance data collected and aggregated across the Group, as well as the emission factors used uniformly throughout DB Group. The sources for the factors and methods used are the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg; ifeu), the EcoTransIT World accounting tool, the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt; UBA), XIO Sustainability Analytics, the GHG Protocol and our 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, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.11, these are generally CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O. In Scope 3.1 and 3.2, the greenhouse gases CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆ and NF₃ are taken into account using the spend-based approach. The respective global warming potential values are based on the IPCC’s 6th 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, the Group companies are taken into account – where applicable – with their own electricity mix (“market-based”), or 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. The Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in the operational control criterion currently correspond to the financial control criterion in accordance with the GHG Protocol.

Losses of refrigerants in air conditioning systems and sulfur hexafluoride in electrical switchgears are calculated on the basis of expert estimates and operational experience on loss rates and operating fluid-specific leakage rates specified by the Network Technology/Network Operation Forum of the German Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (Verband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik e.V.; VDE) in consultation with the UBA. The quantities of AdBlue used in DB Regional Road buses are estimated on the basis of manufacturer specifications. The consumption of stationary energy at DB Regional Road that is supplied by non-Group utility companies is calculated on the basis of the recorded expenses. The greenhouse gas emissions for purchased transport services (Scope 3.4) at DB Cargo and DB Regional Road are calculated using available data from the respective areas and specific figures for own transport operations from previous years. The consumption of Group companies in the Subsidiaries/Other area in leased office buildings that are supplied with energy by DB Energy is allocated to Scope 3.8 (upstream leased assets).

The Scope 3.1 and 3.2 greenhouse gas emissions were estimated on the basis of expenses (spend-based) using emission factors from XIO Sustainability Analytics’ Exiobase database. The procurement volume of the Group companies recorded in 2025 within a product group was multiplied by an emission factor (emissions per euro spent) representative of the respective product group.