Traveling CO2-Free to Copenhagen on the Climate Express

Climate Express to head to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on December 5 / Dr. Rüdiger Grube: “Rail transport has a key function for climate protection.” / DB offers a special CO2-free ticket

Berlin - Deutsche Bahn is supporting the Climate Express project of the International Union of Railways (UIC), which will mark the occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen from December 7 to 18, 2009. The Climate Express aims to showcase rail as a climate-friendly and efficient mode of transportation. The special train will depart from Brussels on December 5 and will travel to Copenhagen via Cologne and Hamburg. DB will ensure that the train runs 100 percent on renewable energy along the entire route. UIC partners include DB, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and WWF International. Noteworthy passengers include Dr. Rüdiger Grube, CEO of DB; Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP; Jean Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director; and Guillaume Pepy, Director of the French State Railways SNCF. The Climate Express is a traveling conference; over 40 speakers from the political, business and scientific communities will discuss climate protection and transportation. Around 400 participants are expected in all.

“DB supports the United Nations’ objective of achieving a fair, global climate convention in Copenhagen,” stated Dr. Rüdiger Grube, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG. “Rail transport has a key function in protecting the climate. Accordingly a appropriate political framework for rail transport has to be established.” DB is offering a CO2-free event ticket to all participants and observers. The special ticket is valid from any German station to Copenhagen and back. One hundred percent of the electricity required for the journey will come from renewable energy sources.

DB is a pioneer in climate protection. It has cut its CO2-specific emissions from rail transport by just under 40 percent since 1990. The experience it has gained in rail transport is now being applied to the Group-wide climate protection program. DB aims to reduce CO2-specific emissions by 20 percent between 2006 and 2020. Its vision is for rail transport to be entirely CO2-free. This year’s DB Sustainability Report was ranked fifth overall among sustainability reports from Germany’s largest 150 major corporations. DB was able to improve upon its 12th place showing in 2007 despite much more stringent criteria. Information about DB’s diverse activities associated with its DB ECO Program is available online at www.dbecoprogram.com.