Deutsche Bahn has set itself an ambitious goal: by 2040, DB aims to be climate neutral and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions across the entire value chain to net zero. Since early 2018, passengers on all electrified routes in DB Fernverkehr's ICE, IC, and EC trains within Germany have been traveling on 100 percent renewable power. The origin of the electricity from renewable energy sources is certified annually by TÜV SÜD. This makes Deutsche Bahn one of the largest consumers of renewable power in Germany.
Renewable energies account for 69.8 percent of DB's traction power mix (as of 2024). The aim is to increase this to 80 percent renewable energy by 2030 – and to 100 percent by 2038.
Passengers are also traveling in an environmentally friendly way on local transport. Whether on the Hamburg S-Bahn, on electrified regional lines in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg, or on regional and local transport in Schleswig Holstein, where rail transport is powered by electricity: Here, Deutsche Bahn customers are already traveling using renewable energy.
More renewable electricity and less CO2e is also the aim behind DB Cargo's Climate+ product. With Climate+, DB logistics customers can have their goods transported by rail using 100% renewable power on all electrified routes. The amount of electricity from renewable energies required for this is determined using the independent EcoTransIT World tool. The corresponding amount of renewable power from renewable energy sources is purchased by DB and fed it into its grid. In Germany, the use of renewable power is audited by TÜV Süd. DB customers can obtain a certificate confirming the CO2e savings achieved.
