Metrics
Air pollution (E2-4)
| Absolute particulate emissions from journeys and transports as of Dec 31 / t | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger transport | 278 | 200 | 213 |
| Freight transport | 190 | 190 | 236 |
| Other transport | 17 | 19 | 10 |
| DB Group | 485 | 409 | 459 |
Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
Combustion-related, well-to-wheel (WTW). Comprises Scope 1, 2, 3.3 and 3.4 with reference to ISO 14083 (greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations).
| Absolute nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) from journeys and transports as of Dec 31 / t | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger transport | 6,877 | 5,922 | 6,186 |
| Freight transport | 5,564 | 5,699 | 6,238 |
| Other transport | 289 | 452 | 172 |
| DB Group | 12,731 | 12,073 | 12,597 |
Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
Combustion-related, well-to-wheel (WTW). Comprises Scope 1, 2, 3.3 and 3.4 with reference to ISO 14083 (greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations).
| Absolute sulfur dioxide emissions (SO₂) from journeys and transports as of Dec 31 / t | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger transport | 1,219 | 2,404 | 2,339 |
| Freight transport | 713 | 1,067 | 1,223 |
| Other transport | 83 | 252 | 197 |
| DB Group | 2,015 | 3,723 | 3,759 |
Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
Combustion-related, well-to-wheel (WTW). Comprises Scope 1, 2, 3.3 and 3.4 with reference to ISO 14083 (greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations).
| Absolute hydrocarbon emissions (NMHC) from journeys and transports as of Dec 31 / t | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger transport | 2,208 | 659 | 663 |
| Freight transport | 988 | 601 | 618 |
| Other transport | 260 | 99 | 68 |
| DB Group | 3,457 | 1,359 | 1,348 |
Individual figures are rounded and therefore may not add up.
Combustion-related, well-to-wheel (WTW). Comprises Scope 1, 2, 3.3 and 3.4 with reference to ISO 14083 (greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations).
The combustion-related pollutant emissions from DB Group’s journeys and transports are significantly influenced by developments in the upstream chain, depending on the air pollutant. The considerable increase in hydrocarbon emissions is due to significantly higher emission factors in fuel and electricity production compared to the previous year. In the past, important hydrocarbons were not taken into account in the model for the calculation of upstream supply chains, whereas about 77 % of hydrocarbon emissions come from the upstream supply chain. The developments in sulfur dioxide emissions can also be explained by changes in the upstream supply chains. As only about 1 % of sulfur dioxide emissions are emitted directly by our transport operations, fluctuations in the upstream supply chain have a major impact on total emissions. The main driver for the increase in nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions in passenger transport was an update to our calculation method for direct emission factors for rail transport in Germany.
Accounting methodology for air pollutant emissions
The accounting is based on the final energy consumption and performance data collected and aggregated across DB Group as well as relevant emissions factors (EFA) for our journeys and transports. We take into account the distribution of our fleets according to the pollutant standard in calculating the EFA. Furthermore, limit values for rolling stock (EU Direc-tive 97/68/EC, EU Directive 2004/26/EC, EU Regulation 2016/1628), the EcoTransIT World accounting tool, our own calculations and factors provided for DB Group by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg; ifeu) are used. The series-specific diesel consumption for a given output (g diesel fuel/kWh) must be estimated for some series on the basis of technical expertise. Our accounting is carried out mathematically, as is usual for transport emissions, as it is not possible to measure emissions during operation.