At present, a climate-neutral transportation option is not available for every rail consignment. We have responded by creating a green solution for our customers and their international transports. Our offers DBeco neutral and Climate+ enables them to offset unavoidable CO2 emissions generated during the course of transportation. DB Cargo and DB Schenker calculate the consignment's CO2 emissions and work with our partner, atmosfair, to support selected sustainability projects around the world as a way of compensating for these emissions.
Residue from India's mustard harvest generates green electricity
The construction of regional biomass power generation plants in India is one of the projects that DB Schenker supports as part of its work to offset overland transportation's emissions. This project not only benefits people by generating green electricity, but it also boosts small farmers' income. Mustard is the most important field crop in the arid region of Rajasthan. The presence of regional biomass power plants means that these farmers can now sell their crop residues. What was once worthless waste has become a source of electricity, providing local farmers with a source of revenue and, at the same time, producing clean power for the region.
Energy-efficient wood-burning stoves for enhanced resource protection
DB Cargo also offsets CO2 emissions for its freight transport customers as part of its Climate+ programme. These are unavoidable greenhouse gases caused, for example, by pre- and onward carriage by truck or rail transport in countries where we do not yet have the option of using 100 per cent renewable electricity for rail transport. DB Cargo uses Climate+ to offset the CO2 emissions generated by first and last mile transportation by truck or in countries where we don’t have the option to use 100% renewable power for rail traction. One of the projects supported as part of this initiative supplies families in Rwanda with efficient wood stoves, which burn far less than the type of cooker that has been used up until now. This protects the climate and at the same time improves the living conditions of people in the country because the stoves are manufactured and sold only by local business partners.
All of the sustainability projects we have selected to be part of DBeco neutral and Climate+ are registered twice under the CDM and Gold Standard and therefore meet strict quality criteria. This ensures that the project's different regional subdivisions can also meet their specific environmental and development targets.
