Sustainability management
Sustainability, which encompasses environmental, social and governance aspects, continues to be a top priority for DB Group. Among other things, these include environmental topics such as climate protection and social topics such as employee satisfaction. Sustainability is also anchored in the variable remuneration of the Management Board members, executives and other employee groups.
The overall coordination of Group-wide sustainability issues is the responsibility of the Head of Sustainability and Environment, who is assigned to the Group Strategy division.
ESG ratings
The feedback from ESG (environmental, social and governance) rating agencies is very important to us as a benchmark and an indicator for our stakeholders’ main concerns.
| ESG ratings | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | Last update | Rating scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDP (climate rating) | – | A | A | Jan 2026 | A to F |
| EcoVadis | 77 / – | 80 /Gold | 71 /Silver | Jul 2026 | Platinum: the best 1 % Gold: the best 5 % Silver: the best 15 % Bronze: the best 35 % |
| ISS ESG | B– | B– | B– | Nov 2025 | A+ / 4.00 to D– / 1.00 |
| MSCI | BB | A | A | Jul 2026 | Leader (AA – AAA) Average (BB – A) Laggard (CCC – B) |
In alphabetical order.
- In May 2026, DB Group was given a rating of “A” (2025: “A”) by CDP as part of the Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA). The SEA is part of the overall assessment of the CDP climate rating. It evaluates the quality and maturity of a company’s management of climate issues in the supply chain, particularly with regard to supplier engagement, the management of Scope 3 emissions and integration into strategy and governance.
- In the EcoVadis rating, DB Group’s overall score for 2026 puts it among the top 2 % of all companies in the rail transport sector assessed by EcoVadis. Due to additional eligibility criteria for awarding medals, DB Group was not awarded a medal in 2026. The results are currently being reviewed. Additional information about the assessment methodology is available on the EcoVadis website.
- In the ESG rating from MSCI ESG, DB Group was downgraded from “A” to “BB” in two steps in the first half of 2026. Among other things, this was due to an adjustment to the ESG rating model by MSCI.
More information on our ESG ratings is available on our investor relations website.