ÖBB Annual Report 2023

Group Management Report 142 Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 97 Objectives – Obtaining independent assessments of sustainability performance (ESG ratings) for the Group companies appearing on the capital market. – The Group companies operating on the capital market with an ESG rating will, where possible, focus the majority of their financing logic on the topic of “sustainability” by 2025. Accordingly, their financing will be secured via sustainable finance products (sustainable / behaviour-linked [General Corporate Purpose] and for green / social financial instruments [Use of Proceeds]). – Implementation of a Sustainable Finance Framework with the aim of linking the sustainability building blocks with the relevant financing instruments of the Group companies. This should sustainably strengthen the transparency towards investors, banks and other stakeholders regarding the credibility of the sustainable financing of the Group companies. Directions of impact Regarding regular ESG ratings for the companies operating on the capital market, it is necessary to ensure an annual revolving rating check by at least one rating agency. This should be carried out in coordination between Group Finance, additionally involved specialist departments of ÖBB Holding AG and the respective companies. The Group Finance division manages sustainable forms of financing for the Group companies that appear on the capital market and have a sustainability rating. This means that special parameters may be required for any financing. This would be, e. g. information on the sustainability or ESG performance, specific directions and objectives of the companies concerned. These parameters are then developed and reported by the respective Group companies in consultation with the relevant departments of ÖBB-Holding AG. Postbus, for example, was the first company in the ÖBB Group to implement sustainable financing with the support of the Group Finance department. The loan of approx. EUR 5.0 million is linked to taxonomy-eligible investments in 2022 (including all own bus investments) and was utilised to finance the e-buses in the southern Weinviertel region. It is essential to observe and comply with strategies, policies and standards that apply throughout the Group. The implementation of sustainable forms of financing requires that all eligible financing partners (counterparties in the broader sense) be defined in future in line with the sustainable direction of the companies’ respective business models. Corporate Rating 2023 2022 Target 2030 ESG rating ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG in points out of 100 1) 84 82 88 ESG rating Österreichische Postbus Aktiengesellschaft in points out of 100 1) 83 81 91 ESG rating Rail Cargo Austria AG in points out of 100 1) 81 79 85 ESG rating ÖBB-Technische Services-Gesellschaft mbH in points out of 100 1) 87 85 91 ESG rating ÖBB-Produktion Gesellschaft mbH in points out of 100 1) 84 83 91 ESG rating ÖBB-Rail Equipment GmbH & Co KG (out of 100 points) 1) 72 - - ESG rating ISS-ESG ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG (rating range from A+ to D-) 2) B- - 1) Solicitated Rating. 2) non-solicitated Rating Highlights 2023 The rating for the Group companies operating on the capital market, which was established for the first time in 2021, was subjected to a rating check in the middle of 2023. All companies have improved and are still rated “very good”. Rail Equipment GmbH & Co KG was also subjected to an ESG rating for the first time, achieving 72 points. Moreover, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG has been regularly evaluated since 2012. This independent assessment is conducted by the leading international ESG rating agency ISS-ESG in the transport infrastructure sector. The most recent update of the rating took place in 2023. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG was once again rated “B-”, making it PRIME as a top investment for ethical, ecological and socially responsible investment among 58 transport infrastructure companies assessed. | MR97