Sustainability is a central component of Deutsche Bahn's business model. At the same time, the S3 rehabilitation program is tackling the demanding task of restoring rail infrastructure performance, improving the customer experience, and securing DB’s financial viability.
Many companies are currently facing similar challenges. In addition, public sentiment has shifted. That’s why dialogue around sustainability is more important than ever.
With its Sustainability Forum, Deutsche Bahn has established a central platform for dialogue among decision-makers from politics, business, science, and civil society. This year, the full-day event will focus on the central theme "Sustainability in times of crisis – a tough economic factor?”. DB looks forward to discussing this with its guests at the Sustainability Forum on October 16, 2025, at the French Cathedral on Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt - including Daniel Günther, Member of the State Parliament and Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein, Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Christian Bernreiter, Bavarian State Minister for Housing, Construction and Transport, Tarek Al-Wazir, Chair of the Transport Committee of the German Bundestag, Dr. Maja Göpel, transformation researcher, Gunnar Groebler, CEO of Salzgitter AG, Verena Bentele, President of VdK, Dr. Carsten Schildknecht, CEO of Zurich Group Germany, Kerstin Maria Rippel, Managing Director of WV Stahl, Prof. Dr. Kai Niebert, President of the DNR, Dr. Renate Hagedorn, Vice President of the German Weather Service, Heike Vesper, Member of the Management Board Transformation, Policy & Economics of WWF Germany, Prof. Dr. Mark Lawrence, Scientific Director of the Research Institute for Sustainability at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, and Dr. Frauke Fischer, nature conservation researcher at the University of Würzburg.
Would you like to take part in the Deutsche Bahn Sustainability Forum? Then register now and we will send you an invitation in September.
Since 2019, Deutsche Bahn’s Sustainability Forum has brought together decision-makers from politics, business, civil society, and academia to discuss current issues in sustainable business practices. In previous years, panel guests have included high-ranking DAX CEOs, representatives of the German federal government, the heads of various environmental organizations, and members of Deutsche Bahn’s Supervisory and Management Boards.
Excerpt from the list of previous panel guests
In addition to representatives of Deutsche Bahn, the panel guests in previous years have included, among others:
- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Cramer, lead author of the IPCC report
- Vincent Ducrot, Chair of the Board of Management of SBB
- Yasmin Fahimi, Chair of the DGB
- Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel, transformation researcher
- Dr. Robert Habeck, Member of the German Bundestag, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection
- Michael Hähnel, Managing Director of Rügenwalder Mühle
- Christoph Heinrich, Managing Director of the WWF
- Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG
- Christian Klein, CEO and Member of the Management Board of SAP
- Dr. Brigitte Knopf, Secretary General of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change
- Michael Kretschmer, Member of the State Parliament and Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony
- Jörg-Andreas Krüger, President of NABU
- Steffi Lemke, Member of the Bundestag and Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
- Andreas Matthä, Chair of the Management Board of ÖBB
- Hildegard Müller, President of VDA
- Luisa Neubauer, activist with Fridays for Future
- Prof. Dr. Kai Niebert, President of DNR
- Carla Reemtsma, spokesperson for Fridays for Future
- Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
- Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
- Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG
- Achim Steiner, Head of the United Nations Development Program
- Dr. Volker Wissing, Member of the German Bundestag and Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport
- Hendrik Wüst, Member of the State Parliament and Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
