ÖBB Annual Report 2023

111 Group Management Report Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 66 The ÖBB Group has been preparing for the reporting obligation under the CSRD since the 2021 sustainability report. Many important milestones along the way have already been successfully realised in recent years. In the area of sustainability reporting, 2023 was dominated by preparations for the implementation of the ESRS requirements, which were finally published in August 2023. The CSRD and its associated ESR standards require extended and detailed reporting on the topics of “Environment”, “Social” and “Governance”. In summer 2023, the ÖBB Group began preparing a GAP analysis in order to identify the potential for further development in sustainability reporting. In June, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG also launched an initial pilot for the implementation of the so-called double materiality analysis in accordance with the ESRS. Great recognition for ÖBB’s sustainability activities ÖBB has been using electricity from renewable energy for 100 years. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG is currently building two new hydropower plants, Obervellach II and the innovative Tauernmoos pumped storage power plant. In 2015, the world’s first traction current solar power plant went into operation in Wilfleinsdorf. In addition, the world’s first wind turbine to produce traction current went into operation at the end of 2022. This overall achievement in the field of renewable energies has now been awarded the “Austrian Solar Prize 2023” in the “Renewable energy in the transport sector” category. ÖBB also had one more reason to celebrate in the 2023 reporting year: for the second year in a row, it received an award for its performance in sustainability reporting with its submission to the “Austrian Sustainability Reporting Award” (ASRA). The Sustainability Report 2022 was therefore not only certified by the auditor and published as an integral part of the Management Report of the Annual Report 2022, but was also awarded 3rd place in the “Voluntary Reporting” category. Place awarded. G.1. Climate change mitigation Management approach The EU “Green Deal” has set the goal of a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. In Austria, climate neutrality is already a self- defined goal as from 2040. ÖBB sees great potential for the future due to its focus on sustainability and climate friendliness - especially when it comes to shifting transport to rail. Transport is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Austria. Road transport is by far the largest source of CO 2 emissions within the Austrian transport sector. Add to this the fact that emissions from transport increased by 74% from 1990 to 2019, just before the corona crisis. In comparison, most other sectors were able to reduce their emissions over the same period. The pandemic brought a short-term decline in mobility services in Austria as well as worldwide, with growth resuming in 2022. Road traffic in particular, however, seems to be increasing disproportionately. Appropriate countermeasures are needed here to encourage a greater shift to public transport. Rail, bus and inner-city transport such as trams and underground trains are an important part of the solution for more climate change mitigation and for achieving Austria’s climate targets. In 2023, ÖBB’s rail and bus transport services saved the national environment approx. 4.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Following a reduction in this effect in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, ÖBB’s savings effect will return to the 2019 level from 2022 onwards. These savings for ÖBB are however expected to increase further in the coming years. This not only makes ÖBB an important climate change mitigation company for the country, it also makes a substantial contribution in the future to keeping potential penalties or compensation payments low in the event of non-compliance with Austria’s 2030 climate targets. ÖBB sees strong growth potential in the focus on climate-neutral economic activity and is aiming for a further shift from road and air transport to climate-friendly rail and public transport. ÖBB intends to continue to reduce the remaining self- generated GHG emissions in order to further secure and emphasise ÖBB’s significant role in climate change mitigation. ÖBB is planning its gradual reduction measures with clearly defined decarbonisation pathways - also beyond the mobility sector. The strategic focus of the ÖBB climate change mitigation strategy is nevertheless primarily on reducing the national CO 2 footprint of the transport and mobility sector in Austria. Key figures at a glance (focus AT) 2023 2022 Share of electrified routes in per cent 76 74 CO 2 eq emissions of the mobility sector (Scope 1 and 2) in tonnes 218,641 226,215 CO 2 eq emissions of ÖBB rail transport (Scope 1 and 2) in tonnes 72,672 79,301 Electric cars in the ÖBB Group’s internal fleet 459 240 Share of renewable energy in traction current in per cent 100 100 ÖBB’s final energy consumption in gigawatt hours GRI 302-1, 302-4 3,004 3,068 CO 2 eq savings through ÖBB transport services in million tonnes 4.2 4.0 MR66 |