Climate protection

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    Deutsche Bahn moves Germany. Every day.

    One railway. Reliable. For everyone.

    Infrastructure

    We operate a 33,400 kilometre-long network with 5,400 stations, which are used by 450 railway companies and 50,000 trains every day.

    Passenger transport

    Every day, more than five million people travel with Deutsche Bahn - in ICE and Intercity trains, in regional express trains or in regional and suburban trains.

    Logistics

    DB Cargo replaces around 80,000 lorry journeys across Europe each day, offering a climate-friendly alternative.

    The immediate action programmes for a better railway.

    More efficient, more reliable and determined to permanently and noticeably improve quality for passengers.

    The modernisation of the infrastructure takes time. We are implementing three immediate action programmes so that customers can see that things are improving at DB: for improved cleanliness and security at our stations. For greater comfort on long-distance services. For a better customer information. For these three programmes, we are investing a total of more than 140 million euros in DB in 2026 alone.  

    Even cleaner trains and ever more reliable service in our dining cars make train journeys even more comfortable and attractive. 

    Increased presence of security staff, additional cleaning and quick repairs at railway stations ensure that people enjoy their stay and get to their trains in comfort.  

    In future, DB will provide customers with even better information before and during their journey - both on the train, at the station and in digital information channels. 
    We want to continue to cut our CO₂ emissions to effectively combat climate change. And for this to succeed, we need transparency about where CO₂ emissions come from. Here is all of our data relating to energy and CO₂ emissions.

    Our carbon footprint

    The amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the DB Group in one year makes up our carbon footprint. It comprises the emissions of all of the DB Group's journeys and transport – by rail, road, air and ship – the emissions of stationary facilities such as stations and maintenance depots, and the emissions of our fleet, which also includes company vehicles, for example. Additional greenhouse gases, such as emissions produced in the supply chain, are not included at this time.

    What are carbon equivalents?

    What are CO₂ equivalents?

    Absolute CO₂ emissions and greenhouse gases that are also included – CO₂ equivalents include CO₂ emissions and the five other gases that have the greatest impact on the environment, such as methane and dinitrogen monoxide – are the basis for calculating specific CO₂e emissions and for calculating our climate protection target within boundaries that have been set. They also act as a benchmark for our efficiency improvement measures and provide a basis for comparison with other companies.

    Absolute CO2 equivalents by journeys, transport and stationary facilities[million t]201820172016
    Total20.8121.9821.18

    Regional rail passenger transport

    2.91

    3.17

    3.1

           -thereof Germany

    2.15

    2.38

    2.88

    Long-distance passenger rail transport

    0.05

    0.52

    0.52

    Bus transport

    1.72

    1.76

    1.78

           -thereof Germany

    0.59

    0.63

    0.67

    Rail freight transport

    1.82

    1.98

    2.05

    Road haulage1)

    3.67

    3.9

    3.89

    Air freight2)

    6.78

    6.76

    6.16

    Ocean freight 2)

    2.27

    2.27

    2.07

    Other transport 3)

    0.11

    0.11

    0.11

    Stationary facilities

    1.47

    1.51

    1.52

    Well-to-wheel (WTW), scope 1-3, 2013 station numbers for DB Cargo Germany only

    1) Change in method from 2015.

    2) With pre-carriage and onward carriage, change in method from 2015 (air freight).

    3) Including DB Fleet Management, internal transport. 

    CO2 equivalents by scope

    Breaking CO₂ equivalents down by scope shows that contracted service providers in the freight forwarding and logistics business are responsible for a higher percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. This poses a particular challenge when it comes to managing reduction efforts and gathering data. The DB Group works continuously on measures to improve the data used as the basis.

    End of expander content
    What do scopes 1 through 3 mean?

    We follow the recommendations of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard (the GHG protocol of the World Resources Institute (WIR) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), two independent institutes), when calculating our footprint. Based on these recommendations, DB looks at its emissions by scope. Scope 1 covers the emissions of all of DB's own vehicles, scope 2 covers emissions from electricity provided to other railroads, and scope 3 covers the emissions of transport services provided by all subcontractors, but only the emissions from transport itself.

    The scope 2 emissions shown, which total 5.51 million metric tons of CO₂e (25%), incorporate market-based mechanisms, which means that the figure includes all contractually regulated instruments for generating and trading electricity from renewable sources.

    We also disclose location-based scope 2 emissions in accordance with the guidance to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol on dual reporting published in 2015. If we use the national generation mixes, total scope 2 emissions are 6.21 million metric tons of CO₂e.

    End of expander content

    Renewable energy sources

    We need to rethink the way we produce energy in order to protect resources and the climate. The only energy sources that have a promising future are renewable energy sources. Our vision is for rail transport in Germany to be CO2-free by 2050.

    DB combines different green energy sources to achieve this. The primary energy source has traditionally been hydroelectric power. DB has purchased power from different hydroelectric power plants in Germany for over 100 years. Power also comes from forty-eight wind turbines located at wind farms.

    DB does not currently use solar power directly for traction current, but since 1997 it has made some of its land available to investors for building solar power plants.

    Taking the train with the highest percentage of green power

    More than 90% of DB's trains run on electricity. That puts rail at an advantage over other modes when it comes to increasing the percentage of renewable power. Especially because we largely control the energy mix ourselves using our own, self-sufficient power grid.

    New target for renewable power

    Our new target for renewable power is to increase the percentage of renewable energy in our traction current to 100% based on DB's own carriers.

    We exceeded our original 50% target ahead of schedule, with a 57% share of renewable power back in 2018. We maintained this value in 2020.  The target was based on the percentage of renewable energy in the entire traction current mix, in other words, on traction current, which is used by our own transport companies as well as third-party rail companies. Our new targets make our own activities to expand the use of renewable energy sources more transparent.

    Our ability to reach our old target ahead of schedule has mostly to do with our green products and services, which have automatically made travel for many of DB's customers green since 2013. DB has been purchasing additional renewable power for this purpose since that time. Green products and service account for 15 percentage points of the 57% of renewable energy sources in the traction current mix. Since January 1, 2018, travel for all of Deutsche Bahn's 140 million long-distance passengers will be powered by 100% renewable power.

    Photovoltaic systems on DB land

    We make land and rooftops available to investors to install photovoltaic plants. The second CO₂-free station, in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, opened in 2016, which played a major role in further increasing installed power. The power that is produced is supplied to the public grid. The green station in Kerpen-Horrem has been in operation since 2014. Our first CO₂-free ICE maintenance depot is scheduled to open in 2017, which will further increase the share of photovoltaic plants.

    Brake energy recovery system

    Modern vehicles recycle the energy generated during braking and supply it back to the overhead line. This electricity can then be reused to power other vehicles. In general, the newer the train, the more effectively it can recover brake energy. 

    Brake energy recovery in GWh201820172016
    Total1,3491,7361,258

    Regional/Local rail passenger transport

    834

    794

    800

    Percentage of total electricity

    21

    20

    19

    Long-distance rail passenger transport

    331

    794

    304

    Percentage of total electricity

    12

    11

    11

    Rail freight transport

    184

    148

    153

    Percentage of total electricity

    9

    7

    7

    Absolute primary energy consumption at the DB Group

    We document the absolute primary energy consumption of our journeys and transport Group-wide, in other words for all transport by rail, by road, on the water and in the air.

    Absolute primary energy consumption of journeys, transport and stationary facilities of the DB Group [TJ]201820172016
    Total286,820301,399292,927

    Regional/Local rail passenger transport

    46,354

    49,772

    50,253

           -thereof Germany

    35,233

    38,259

    39,797

    Long-distance rail passenger transport

    10,657

    14,691

    15,156

    Bus transport

    29,845

    26,048

    26,154

           -thereof Germany

    8,485

    8,899

    9,539

    Rail freight transport

    29,845

    33,111

    34,234

    Road haulage1)

    51,743

    55,214

    55,165

    Air freight 2)

    91,734

    91,463

    83,403

    Ocean freight2)

    29,431

    29,541

    26,977

    Other transport 3)

      1,579

      1,559

      1,584

    Stationary facilities

    21,044

    22,092

    23,346

    Well-to-wheel (WTW), scope 1-3

    1) Change in method from 2015.

    2) With pre-carriage and onward carriage, change in method from 2015 (air freight).

    3) Including DB Fleet Management, internal transport. 

    Primary energy source mix by energy source:

    Primary energy source mix of journeys, transport and stationary facilities by energy source [%] 1)

    2018

    2017

    2016

    Fuel/heating oil 1)

    72

    71

    69

    Electricity 2)

    26

    28

    30

    Natural gas

    1

    1

    1

    District heating 2)1

    1

    1

    Scope 1-3, 2013 numbers for DB Cargo Germany only

    1) Including heating oil, coal, diesel, heavy fuel oil and jet fuel

    2) Similarly to the specifications of the Global Reporting Initiative, electricity and district heating are considered independent primary energy sources, even if coal was used as the energy source to produce electricity, for example. The traction current mix is disclosed in our Integrated Report and at http://ib.deutschebahn.com/2018/en/group-management-report/group-performance-environmental-dimension/progress-in-climate-protection/share-of-renewable-energies-remains-high/.

    DB makes CDP's A List

    Deutsche Bahn has earned a top climate score of A from the international rating organization CDP, and, along with Canadian National Rail, is one of two climate-friendly rail companies in the world to make the 2018 A List. The CDP score measures companies' climate protection activities and reporting transparency. CDP is the world's best known climate protection rating list. DB is one of 127 companies in the world to earn an A. Only 5% of the companies evaluated by CDP made it to the top group. In 2017, 112 companies were on the A List.