DB Schenker Rail UK launch Eco Neutral

Company introduces pioneering fully carbon-neutral rail freight product to the market

DB Schenker Rail UK say they have achieved another industry first with the launch of a pioneering product that allows customers to offset 100% of their CO2 emissions.

Eco Neutral from DB Schenker allows customers to compensate in full for the CO2 emissions generated through their rail freight services by backing climate-change projects that transfer technology and combat poverty around the globe.

DB Schenker Rail UK are the first rail freight company in the country to offer a fully carbon-neutral product to the market.

The company has partnered with climate protection organization Atmosfair, which acts to protect the climate by compensating greenhouse gases through the use of renewable energies, to deliver the scheme.

DB Schenker Rail UK calculate a customer’s CO2 emissions from their rail services to determine how much it will cost to compensate. The calculations take into account distance, weight, payload capacity, backload statistics, traction type, and fuel/electricity consumption.

The customer can choose which project they wish to fund in order to compensate their CO2 emissions. Examples include the generation of clean electricity through wind turbines or a biogas support programme to guarantee an environmentally friendly energy supply.

Steve Pryce, head of marketing at DB Schenker Rail UK, said: ‘We are continuously striving to minimize the impact of our operations on the environment and are proud to launch Eco Neutral as the first truly zero-carbon rail freight product in the UK.

‘Rail freight already offers significant environmental benefits when compared with road – each tonne transferred by rail rather than road cuts CO2 emissions by 76%. But at DB Schenker Rail UK, we are committed to being an industry leader in this area, continuously investing in innovative ways to even further minimize the impact of our operations on the environment and help customers reduce their carbon emissions.

‘This commitment demonstrates the progressive nature of our company and creates a further incentive for customers to choose rail freight over other transport modes.’

The company will be showcasing Eco Neutral at Multimodal, the UK and Ireland’s leading freight transport and logistics exhibition, from 28–30 April, at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.