No traffic jams, no tolls and no harmful emissions: many attractive vacation destinations can be reached conveniently and sustainably with Deutsche Bahn. For example, travelers on ICE, IC and EC trains on all electrified DB long-distance routes within Germany are powered by 100% renewable power. This makes electrified rail transport one of the most climate-friendly forms of mass mobility.

The CO₂Compass shows how climate-friendly a journey is on DB trains. It compares the greenhouse gas emissions of train travel with those of cars and airplanes for all rail routes within Germany. The CO₂Compass thus creates even greater awareness of environmentally friendly mobility and climate-friendly rail travel among its users.

Climate protection at a glance – CO₂Compass in the BahnBonus loyalty program

Deutsche Bahn goes one step further: BahnBonus participants can see their personal greenhouse gas savings compared to cars at a glance in the BahnBonus loyalty program. 

The environmental calculator performs the calculation based on the individual tickets purchased for which BahnBonus loyalty points were collected. For BahnCard 100 customers, the tool calculates an average value. With the environmental calculator, DB shows its travelers how even small changes in behavior can have a positive effect on the environment. This creates even more awareness for climate-friendly mobility.

The following graphic also shows how climate-friendly Deutsche Bahn's long-distance transport is compared to other modes of transport. It displays the average greenhouse gas emissions in grams per person per kilometer in Germany:

The greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, N2O are shown in CO2e according to AR5 (5th IPCC Assessment Report) in rounded values for the modes of transport train, bus, car and plane per April 2025.. Emissions from the provision and conversion of energy sources are taken into account. Car: All drives (gasoline, diesel, electric, liquefied and natural gas, hybrids)​ Aircraft: Including non-CO₂ effects, EWF 1.5 (based on "Software for a simplified estimation of CO₂ equivalents of individual flights," national air traffic of major airports)​ DB-Long-distance traffic: included are non-electrified rides (<2%)​ Sources: Airplane, car, coach: UBA 2025 (TREMOD 6.61c (2/2025), reference year 2023); Rail: DB AG (reference year 2024)​

The comparison of means of transportation shows: The train is the most climate-friendly choice for long-distance travel.