Targets (E5-3)
We require considerable quantities of materials to maintain and expand our rail infrastructure, in particular track ballast, concrete ties and rail steel. We have set ourselves binding targets to make our resource requirements more sustainable.
DB Group’s ambition to achieve a circular economy by 2040, including voluntary, measurable Group targets, was adopted in 2022. By 2030, we want to significantly increase the share of recycled materials used in our main resources compared to 2019. To this end, the share of recycled track ballast is to be increased to 40 %, concrete ties to 30 % and rail steel to 45 % of the total annual material input. These targets relate to the construction and maintenance of rail infrastructure, and in particular the activities of DB InfraGO’s Track business area in Germany.
By increasing the use of recycled materials, a total of about 539,000 t of primary materials were saved across our three main resources in 2025.
DB Group uses the Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) framework of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to analyze progress and make it measurable. Based on our material flow accounting, the framework is used to systematically analyze material flows, reduce waste and promote the reuse of resources. Due to the large share of our three main resources – track ballast, concrete ties and rail steel – which account for about 80 % of the weight of our total material input, our target is based on the assumption that the use of other resources has lower potential to contribute to achieving the target.