ÖBB Annual Report 2023

Group Management Report 134 Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 89 To increase biodiversity along the route, emphasis is placed on special design of the railway embankments and slopes. The design and construction of the facilities are already coordinated to promote different types of vegetation along the railway embankment in order to continue to expedite fauna and flora diversity. The extensive and near-natural management of the railway lines and various areas along the railway serve as a refuge and migration corridor for rare animal and plant species. At the same time, these are areas that link different habitats in Austria. In addition, intact, near- natural and species-rich habitats provide a multitude of ecosystem services and thus promote people’s quality of life. Consideration of the respective Red Lists of endangered species is to be ensured for all new construction and expansion projects. For this purpose, in addition to the approval procedures, which are planned and implemented in accordance with nature conservation and species protection law, specific regulations related to the environment and nature conservation are also used (guidelines and regulations for roads, RVS, or guidelines and regulations for railways, RVE). In 2023, 8,671 kilometres of track were checked for existing vegetation (cf. 2022: + 4%) and treated with protective herbicide agents if necessary. Approx. 1.5 tonnes of active substances (flumioxazin, flazasulfuron, iodosulfuron, diflufenican) were used, 0.3 tonnes more than in the previous year. The difference compared to the previous year is due to an increase in the number of track kilometres monitored and the inclusion of iodosulfuron and diflufenican in the standard application. In 2022, these active substances were only used on a trial basis. A comparison of the track areas actually treated and the controlled track areas shows that the same proportion of controlled areas required treatment in 2023 as in 2022. When interpreting the key figures, it is important to bear in mind that plant growth on the track surface, for example, is influenced by various environmental factors such as rain or heat. The same applies to the use of spraying equipment. Key figures at a glance (focus AT) 2023 2022 Amount of active ingredient used in kilograms per year 1,497 1,168 of which Glyphosate 0 0 Track checked for vegetation in kilometres 8,671 8,340 Area checked for vegetation in hectares 5,877 5,642 Areas actually treated in hectares 1,828 1,775 Proportion of the controlled area treated in per cent 31 31 In December 2017, the EU Commission extended the possible use of glyphosate by five years. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG’s objective of not using glyphosate on ÖBB railway tracks was achieved at the beginning of 2022. There was a switch to alternatively available plant protection products. In addition, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG continues to participate intensively in research projects. A mix of methods – chemical, mechanical, physical (thermal / electrical) – are to be used in the future. However, until other methods have achieved effectiveness and track suitability, the treatment of track systems with plant protection products remains the most important measure – for chemical vegetation control and for monitoring the vegetation in the track area. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG is also involved in an international exchange with other railway operators. The aim of this exchange is to find solutions to this problem, which is similar for the entire railway sector. GRI 304-2 Highlights 2023 At the end of 2022, the Austrian Biodiversity Strategy 2030+ was published by the BMK after some delay. This includes numerous measures for the traffic and transport infrastructure sector, which require greater consideration in the coming years. The official kick-off, at which all federally owned transport infrastructure operators were invited to a round table at the BMK, took place in autumn 2023. The first measures for habitat networking and the “ecological upgrading” of infrastructure support areas have already been implemented. In April 2023, an 800-metre section of overhead line on the line between Parndorf and Pama, which is particularly critical for great bustards, was also secured with “fireflies”. These increase the visibility of the line for the birds and are intended to prevent collisions in flight. In future, the secured area is to be extended even further. Another highlight of 2023 was receiving the “Excellence in Railway Publications Award” from the UIC - International Union of Railways, for the “Guidelines on Managing Railway Assets for Biodiversity” published in May 2023. These guidelines were developed as part of the UIC project “Reverse” of the UIC working group “Sustainable Landuse”, which ÖBB- Infrastruktur AG chairs together with a colleague from Network Rail. | MR89