Our commitment to sustainability.

As the largest provider of sustainable mobility in Switzerland, SBB takes its responsibility seriously.

SBB is committed to a comprehensive sustainability policy – economically, ecologically, and socially. SBB consistently takes sustainability criteria into account along the entire value chain – from procurement to production and use to disposal. SBB’s environmental and social policy is set out in the Code of Conduct for employees and suppliers.

Whether you travel with TPF or SBB, by bus or by train: public transport lets customers move around sustainably. But climate heating shows that we have to do even more. The sector faces the challenge of maximising use of energy saving potential and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. To achieve this, we need to harness the force of innovation, specialist knowledge and the willingness to implement measures and cooperate.

Vincent Ducrot

CEO

Sustainability at SBB.

As the backbone of public transport, SBB is a driving force in the transformation towards a sustainable Switzerland. We keep people, regions, the economy and natural habitats connected, making a contribution to quality of life in Switzerland and making the country more competitive.

The SBB Strategy 2030 shows the company’s priorities. The focus is on customers and the core aspects of the railway – being punctual, reliable and safe. SBB’s strategy also centres around the ambition to be a pioneer of sustainability and to be a railway by the people for the people: for passengers, employees and society – for the whole of Switzerland. This results in three main strategies of SBB’s commitment to sustainability:

We are kind to the climate and the environment.

We are improving our environmental performance and consistently reducing all our greenhouse gas emissions. To do so, we are focusing on renewable energies, increasing energy efficiency and working towards the transition to a circular economy. We are taking a proactive approach to addressing the challenges of climate change. We also promote sustainable habitats for people and nature by strengthening biodiversity and reducing noise.

We are a responsible employer – by people, for people.

We provide meaningful work and attractive working conditions for current and future employees. We promote an excellent culture of safety and support the health of our employees, strengthening our team orientation and sense of togetherness thanks to lived diversity, inclusion and constructive cooperation with social partners. 

We are a pioneer in sustainable transport development.

We enable our customers to benefit from environmentally friendly and accessible mobility, as well as sustainable freight transport. We ensure the safety of our customers and systems. We are contributing to the modal shift to rail and also fulfilling our social responsibility in the supply chain.

Focus topics of SBB.

SBB has defined the following key objectives for its sustainability priorities:

Environment.

Focus topic Aim

Climate and energy

We are systematically reducing all greenhouse gas emissions and aim to reduce operational emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 60% by 2030, compared to the 2018 baseline.

By 2030, we will be saving 850 gigawatt hours of energy per year compared to 2010, increasing energy efficiency by 30% in relation to the level without intervention.

We are minimising the risk of weather-related effects on people as well as damage to the environment, infrastructure, rolling stock, buildings, goods and facilities.

Sustainable habitats

We will be maintaining 30% of our embankments in a near-natural state by 2040.

Our long-term goal is to protect all residents along the railway network from excessive rail noise, despite increased traffic and in accordance with the principle of proportionality.

Circular economy

 We are anchoring the circular economy in our processes and corporate culture and making it a company-wide standard.

Employees.

Focus topic Aim

Attractive employer

We are one of the best employers in Switzerland.

We maintain an active dialogue with trade unions and staff associations and promote employee participation within the company.

Health and safety at work

We aim to keep the number of occupational accidents at a stable low level and ensure that the number of days lost increases only moderately, despite the changing demographics within SBB.

Equal opportunities

By 2030, every management team will include two or more women. In addition, more management teams will be multilingual.

Society.

Focus topic Aim

Sustainable mobility

We’re offering people with reduced mobility the opportunity to travel autonomously by train. We’re making temporary or alternative solutions available for stations and stops that are not yet accessible.

We will increase the share of rail in the modal split in passenger and freight transport by 2050.

Security and resilience

We maintain the already very high level of rail operations safety at a consistently high standard.

We continuously increase our level of maturity with respect to information security.

Sustainable procurement

By 2027, we will increase our EcoVadis score for sustainable procurement to 80 points. In addition, the share of SBB’s procurement volume covered by suppliers with an EcoVadis rating is steadily increasing. Finally, we mitigate the risk of labour or human rights violations at selected suppliers by requiring certifications and carrying out audits.

Our contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development points the way to a sustainable world. As a country with a long tradition of humanitarianism and a strongly networked international economy, Switzerland has a great interest in being a good example of the implementation of this agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the core of the Agenda. They comprise 17 goals and 169 targets. These goals are to be achieved globally and by all UN member states by 2030 – thus ensuring sustainable development at the economic, ecological and social levels. 

Switzerland is committed to Agenda 2030. SBB contributes to achieving the SDGs in Switzerland through its actions in line with its Strategy 2030. Through its ambition to achieve climate-neutrality, and through its energy strategy and its services, SBB is making significant contributions to the decarbonisation of energy (SDG 7) and to climate protection (SDG 13).

As a major mobility provider, infrastructure operator, employer, property owner and procurer, SBB supports the achievement of the following SDGs: SDG 5 (Gender equality), SDG 8 (Work safety), SDG 9 (Safe access to the railway and reliable infrastructure),   SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 12 (Procurement and resource consumption). 

Top rated by industry association UIC

SBB has its contribution to the seven relevant SDGs assessed each year in the Rail Sustainability Index compiled by the sector association UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de fer) and compared to the contribution made by other railway companies. In the most recent assessment, SBB obtained Status B+. This puts it among the best 25% of all railway companies evaluated. In the sector comparison, it performed particularly well in SDG 7 (Renewable energy), SDG 8 (Work safety) and SDG 9 (Climate adaption). However, the Rail Sustainability Index identified potential for improvement in SDG 5 (Proportion of women), SDG 11 (Accessibility) and SDG 12 (Waste indicators).

Rail Sustainability Index 2025 (Level B+).