ÖBB Austria saved around 4.2 million tonnes of CO in 2023 with its transport services by rail and bus and are thus back to the level of 2019 for the first time since reductions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Today. For tomorrow. For us. We follow this motto in all our actions. The 15th Sustainability Report of the ÖBB Group shows what our comprehensive commitment to climate protection and sustainability looks like. It documents our achievements in the ecological, economic and social fields. Our goal is to make transport more sustainable and resource-efficient, thus ensuring quality of life and economic success in the future. As ÖBB, we make our contribution to this every day," emphasises ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä.
From battery-powered trains to wind power: The sustainable highlights of 2023
As part of a comprehensive renewal of its fleet – ÖBB will invest around 6 billion euros in new trains by 2030 – 16 electrically powered Cityjet battery-powered multiple units were also ordered in 2023. These are to be used from 2028 in local and regional transport along the Kamptalbahn. As a result, more than one million litres of diesel can be saved per year. In freight transport, it was agreed in 2023 that an additional 200,000 tonnes will be shifted from road to rail in the area of waste transport in the future. The driving factor behind this is the entry into force of the new transport clause in the Waste Management Act, according to which since 1 January 2023, waste transports with a total weight of more than 10 tonnes over a distance of 300 km must be transported by rail.
The climate advantages of ÖBB rail transport are mainly due to the traction current used, which has been 100% renewable energy since 2018. By 2030, ÖBB and its partners want to increase the degree of self-sufficiency in traction current from 60% to 80% and in operating facilities from 11% to 67% by expanding and modernising its own water, solar and wind power plants. This means an increase of approximately 800 GWh in self-sufficiency – in addition to the current 970 GWh.
ÖBB is currently building two new hydropower plants, Obervellach II and the innovative pumped storage power plant Tauernmoos. In this way, ÖBB becomes less dependent on external energy suppliers and also relieves the burden on the public power grid. In addition, internal energy efficiency is to be increased by 25%, for example through the modernisation of the traction power network or building optimisation. In total, around 1.6 billion euros will be invested.
Sustainably important: The ÖBB team
The many measures taken cannot be implemented without the employees of ÖBB: more than 81,000 people applied to ÖBB in 2023 alone - this is significantly more than in the previous year, when there were 57,000 applications. This increase is not only due to the generally high attractiveness of ÖBB as a secure employer, but is also attributable to targeted recruiting initiatives in Germany and abroad as well as internal referral programs.