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Grünes Hamburg: Die Stadt mit der Alster aus der Luft fotografiert

Umwelt und Klima

HOCHBAHN is going carbon neutral

Sustainable actions: Together we’re reducing Hamburg’s eco footprint

Climate change affects us all! It is one of the most critical risks facing our world today. But we all have an important lever at our disposal when it comes to reducing CO2 emissions and meeting the 1.5 degree target set by the Paris Agreement: urban mobility. HOCHBAHN is well aware of the responsibility it carries on behalf of the city. Even now, 25% of Hamburg’s CO2 footprint can already be attributed to mobility. By 2050, 70 to 80% of the world’s population will live in cities. That’s why we need to set ourselves an ambitious target: 

By the end of this decade, HOCHBAHN will be entirely carbon neutral! 


How will we do that? 

  • With 100% high-quality certified green electricity 

  • By investing in zero-emission buses only 

  • With a fleet of vehicles that will be emission-free in the future 

  • By reducing emissions produced from heating and cooling our operating and administrative locations 

  • With compensation payments for any remaining CO2 emissions 


We also keep a close eye on other indirect emissions, such as the CO2 footprint of procured products and services, and are working to continuously reduce these emissions as well. 


Transporting Hamburg to a sustainable future: 

We’re in the process of replacing our fleet of some 1,000 diesel-fuelled buses with emission-free vehicles. The first “climate protectors” to roll off the production line are already driving passengers around Hamburg. And since 2020 we have only been placing orders for e-buses. The entire HOCHBAHN fleet will be replaced by 2030.  

What’s more, our diesel-fuelled buses also emit considerably less nitrogen oxides and fine particles than their predecessors. Since 2018, only vehicles that meet Euro V and Euro VI standards have been in operation in Hamburg. 

You can learn more about the conversion of our fleet to e-buses here


HOCHBAHN at COP28 in Dubai:

Merle Schmidt-Brunn, Merle Schmidt-Brunn, Director of Finance and Sustainability, on the Hamburg-Takt, autonomous driving, sustainable finance and the construction of the U5 underground line.

Windenergie in Hamburg

100 percent power – 100 percent green

It’s not only our new electric buses that are being refuelled with high-quality certified green electricity supplied by HAMBURG ENERGIE.

Our U-Bahn trains also run on green electricity from power plants that are no more than six years old. This means we save around 80,000 tons of CO2 every year.


Sparen, was das Zeug hält

Als Mitglied der UmweltPartnerschaft Hamburg gibt’s bei uns schon seit 2007 einen strikten Sparkurs – und zwar für weniger Energieverbrauch und weniger Schadstoffemissionen. Beispielsweise durch Schwungradspeicher. Unsere modernen U-Bahn-Züge speisen bis zu 40 Prozent der beim Bremsen entstehenden Energie zurück ins Fahrstromnetz. Andere U-Bahn-Fahrzeuge können diese Energie beim Anfahren wieder aufnehmen. Und wenn gerade keine U-Bahn im Umkreis unterwegs ist, die die Energie verwenden kann, wird sie gespeichert. Mit Hilfe der zwei Schwungradspeicher sparen wir jährlich insgesamt bis zu 800.000 Kilowattstunden Energie.

Immerhin 140.000 kWh pro Jahr sparen unsere Rolltreppen durch kürzere Nachlaufzeiten. Denn wenn kein Fahrgast mehr die Treppe nutzt, muss sie auch nicht laufen.


100 Hamburger Familienhaushalte ...
Die U-Bahn-Haltestelle Klosterstern bei Nacht beleuchtet

… können mit dem Strom versorgt werden, den wir seit 2019 jährlich durch LED statt Leuchtstofflampen einsparen.

400.000 Kilowattstunden weniger Strom bedeuten unsere 2018 durchgeführten Tauschaktionen auf Haltestellen, Betriebshöfen und Werkstätten.


Noch mehr grüne HOCHBAHN:

Corporate and Sustainability Report

The whole world of HOCHBAHN: Find out here in our corporate and sustainability report how we bring Hamburg into step with zero emissions. In our GRI balance sheet, we also report comprehensively on all our sustainability activities. All facts and figures are also available in the management report and annual financial statements.

Learn more