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 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.
VincentDucrot
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 nature connected, making a contribution to quality of life in Switzerland and making the country more competitive.
We are kind to the climate and the environment.
We are setting an example by increasing our environmental performance, halving our greenhouse gas emissions, and becoming climate neutral by 2030. To this end, we are driving the transformation to a circular economy and promoting sustainable, interconnected habitats for people and nature by planning and building responsibly and strengthening biodiversity.
We are pioneers in sustainable transport development.
We provide our customers with environmentally friendly and accessible mobility, as well as sustainable freight transport. We provide safety – be it data security or regarding the effects of climate change. In doing so, we are pushing the modal shift to rail. We also fulfil our social responsibilities in our supply chain.
We are a responsible employer – by people and for people.
We provide meaningful work for current and future employees. Our tailor-made training and development programmes help staff to prepare for change in their professions and enable us to maintain a high level of valuable rail expertise. We promote an excellent culture of safety and the health of our employees, strengthening our team orientation and sense of togetherness through diversity, inclusion and constructive cooperation with social partners.
Key sustainability topics for SBB.
Our contribution towards 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. In 2022, SBB once again contributed to the attainment of the SDGs in Switzerland through its actions aimed at fulfilling its commitment to sustainability. First and foremost, through SBB’s 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, employer, real estate owner and buyer, SBB also supported the achievement of the following SDGs to a considerable extent in the year under review: SDG 8 (safe work), SDG 9 (safe rail access and reliable infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable buildings and habitats), SDG 12 (procurement and resource use).
In 2022, SBB also contributed to the achievement of select components of the following five SDGs: In the interests of its employees, SBB is committed to integrated health management, a broad range of training and development opportunities, and gender equality (SDGs 3, 4 and 5). It also promotes equal opportunities for its employees and the accessibility of the railway (SDG 10). Finally, SBB is committed to maintaining railway embankments and cuttings in a near-natural state (SDG 15).
When prioritising the SDGs, SBB oriented itself in accordance with the national report for 2022 ‘Switzerland implements the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. SBB’s priorities also correspond to the Federal Council’s Sustainable Development Strategy. The following paragraphs describe SBB’s contribution to the various SDGs in detail.
As one of the largest employers in Switzerland, SBB is responsible for around 30,000 employees. To maintain their health and well-being, it implements integrated health management. SBB promotes the health competence of its employees, amongst other things, with regard to the advancing digitalisation and with a special focus on mental health. It also creates working conditions which promote good health, especially for older employees and those with health problems.
SBB trains apprentices throughout Switzerland and provides a wide range of internal training opportunities for its staff. In this way, it preserves and further develops the specialised railway know-how of its employees. SBB also enables its employees to acquire the necessary skills to master the changes brought about by digitalisation.
The company is increasing the proportion of women employed at all levels. Independent surveys regularly certify SBBs wage equality in terms of gender, age and nationality.
SBB is the largest electricity consumer in Switzerland. Due to the expansion of rail services, its energy demand will continue to grow in the coming years. SBB is therefore committed to the careful use of energy, doing so by saving energy, increasing energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy in the electricity it consumes. The company also plans to generate more electricity and heat using renewable sources of energy.
Many SBB employees work in a challenging environment. Consistently ensuring safety at work does not just mean complying with legal requirements. At SBB, it is also a core attitude and a management responsibility at all levels of the company. To this end, SBB is continuously developing its fundamental culture of safety and quality. The collective labour agreements for SBB and SBB Cargo ensure modern working and employment conditions for all employees over the long term.
As one of the largest providers of external contracts in Switzerland, SBB works together with thousands of suppliers. In doing so, it strives to limit the negative impact of the supply chain on the environment. Moreover, SBB takes care to prevent labour and human rights violations in its supply chain.
SBB aims to continue to be Switzerland’s most environmentally friendly mobility provider in the future. The company operates and maintains a reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure portfolio;its facilities, buildings and vehicles are modernised and retrofitted to make them even cleaner and more environmentally friendly. SBB facilitates the modal shift to rail and the expansion of collective mobility.
SBB employs people from all sorts of different backgrounds. It promotes equal opportunity regardless of language, sex or gender identity, age, sexual orientation, origin or religion. Racism or discrimination of any kind is not tolerated at SBB. SBB also fosters diversity within its teams and in its management positions – for instance, in terms of the distribution of speakers of the national languages – and establishes an inclusive corporate culture.
For people with reduced mobility or sensory impairments, rail travel is associated with numerous physical and digital hurdles. SBB makes its digital service as accessible as possible for people with disabilities and makes it possible for them to use public transport autonomously. In doing so, the company makes a major contribution to enabling people with disabilities to participate in public life.
SBB shapes Switzerland through the services it provides in transport and real estate. The company develops stations and the surrounding areas into substantial mobility hubs and neighbourhoods. It not only creates safe, affordable and sustainable transport systems, but also spaces where people can work, live and thrive. SBB designs and builds its office and residential buildings to exacting sustainability standards and strives to reuse materials. In doing so, SBB facilitates the interplay between residential and commercial space and ensures Switzerland’s attractiveness as a place to live and work.
SBB is one of the largest clients in Switzerland. Along the entire value chain, SBB considers not only economic, but also social and ecological, criteria.
SBB advocates for the circular economy when considering its procurement and investment decisions. The company ensures the efficient use of natural resources, minimises its consumption of resources, uses recyclable materials and is increasing the rate at which materials are recycled.
SBB is reducing the amount of waste generated in the course of its operations, as well as the use of plastic by both staff and end customers at its railway stations.
The modal shift to rail reduces Switzerland’s total emissions by around 10%. In this way, SBB is making a significant contribution to climate protection in Switzerland. One of SBB’s most important goals is to reduce its own CO2 emissions in accordance with scientific guidelines, and to become a carbon neutral company by 2030.
SBB is also increasing its resilience and adaptability with respect to climate-related hazards and natural disasters and is proactively adapting to the impacts of climate change.
As Switzerland’s second-largest landowner, SBB contributes significantly to urban sprawl. However, SBB also manages a green corridor along the tracks and takes compensatory measures in the context of construction projects. It also protects and restores ecosystems to promote biodiversity and preserve habitats for protected and endangered animal and plant species.
