As Deutsche Bahn, we take responsibility for our planet. That is why we are consistently and transparently driving forward DB's green transformation. On this path, an independent and critical review by qualified rating agencies is a matter of course for us. In this way, we also secure the trust of our stakeholders.
The international rating organization CDP has given Deutsche Bahn an "A" rating for 2024, upgrading us compared to the previous year. Despite extensive adjustments in scoring methodology and a multitude of new questions, DB was able to achieve improvements in categories such as climate targets, data transparency for Scope 3 emissions, emission reduction measures, and low carbon products, as well as in supply chain engagement. With this result, we are once again part of the renowned "A-List" and among the world's best companies evaluated by CDP.
CDP's annual rating process uses detailed, independent methodology to assign ratings ranging from A to D-. It evaluates the level of transparency and disclosure of climate data, awareness and management of environmental risks, and best practices related to environmental leadership, such as setting ambitious targets.
Deutsche Bahn is again among the top two percent in the rail transport sector in EcoVadis's 2024 rating. For our sustainability performance we were awarded a silver medal. Compared to the previous year, we were able to increase our result by three points to 71 points (as at July 2024). The objective of the EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rating is to measure the quality of a company’s CSR management system through its policies, actions and results.
The assessment focuses on 21 CSR criteria in four areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. The overall EcoVadis score (0–100) reflects the quality of a company's CSR management system at the time of assessment.
In the ISS ESG Corporate Rating, we as Deutsche Bahn received a B- rating and maintained Prime status. The Group also has a decile rank of 1 (as of September 2023). The ISS ESG Corporate Rating indicates companies' sustainability performance in three areas: environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Around one-third of the rating criteria are entirely industry-specific.
The ESG Corporate Rating uses a twelve-level grading system from A+/4.00 to D-/1.00. The rating has an absolute best-in-class approach. Prime status is awarded to companies that meet or exceed ISS ESG's defined sustainability requirements, the prime threshold, for a specific industry. In addition to the overall rating, the decile rank indicates performance relative to the industry. A decile rank of 1 indicates high relative performance, while a 10 indicates low relative performance.
In MSCI's ESG rating, Deutsche Bahn's "A" rating was confirmed in December 2024. This rating puts us just below the average for the "Road & Rail Transport" sector. Deutsche Bahn has been rated by MSCI since 2013.
MSCI ESG Research products and services are designed to provide companies around the world with in-depth research, ratings and analysis of environmental, social and governance-related business practices. ESG ratings, data and analysis are also used in the creation of the MSCI ESG Indices. For over 40 years, MSCI's research-based indices and analytics have helped investors around the world build and manage their portfolios.
Science-Based Targets initiative
Deutsche Bahn aims to be climate-neutral by 2040 and has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by that year. This target has been reviewed by the renowned Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and confirmed in March 2025. SBTi has set itself the goal of promoting science-based climate targets in companies. It is a leader in this field. SBTi was founded jointly by the CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).