Environment and Social
Sustainability at VTG has two inseparable dimensions: protecting the climate and conserving resources, and taking responsibility for our employees, suppliers, and partners. On this page, we show in concrete terms what we do, what we measure, and where we want to improve further.
Rail freight transport emits an average of 14 g CO₂e per ton-kilometer, compared with 118 g CO₂e/tkm in road freight transport. This corresponds to a reduction of around 88%. Companies that shift freight from road to rail freight transport can therefore make one of the most effective contributions to reducing their Scope 3 emissions.
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Our five production and maintenance workshops, Waggonwerk Brühl, Waggonbau Graaff, SEMA, Ateliers de Joigny, and ŽELOS, consumed a total of 24,599 MWh of energy in financial year 2025. This corresponds to a reduction of approximately 6% compared with the previous year (2024: 26,220 MWh). Energy consumption includes electricity, district heating, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), heating oil, and fuels and operating materials.
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Our environmental measures are not isolated initiatives. They are embedded in certified management systems that are regularly audited by independent third parties.
View all certificationsThe safety of our employees is VTG’s highest priority. Our overarching goal is Zero Harm: no recordable workplace accidents. We achieve this goal not through statements of intent, but through consistent measures, clear responsibilities, and regular review.
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LTIFR 2025
LTIFR 2024 (previous year)
2025 target achieved.
Our Safety Program
With the CERO program, and its further development CERO+, VTG has created a Group-wide initiative that systematically strengthens its safety culture. CERO stands for a shared understanding of responsibility: every person within the company contributes to identifying, addressing, and eliminating risks. The program embeds occupational safety not as a requirement, but as a lived mindset.
VTG employs people in more than 30 countries, with different backgrounds, languages, and career paths. What unites them is their work on infrastructure that keeps Europe connected and continuously becomes more sustainable. We invest in the development of our employees, promote an inclusive workplace culture, and create conditions in which people enjoy working for the long term.
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Diversity is not an end in itself for VTG. It makes us stronger and more adaptable as a company. We actively work to continuously increase the proportion of women in leadership positions and to create a work environment in which all employees can realize their full potential.
Female representation in the total workforce (2025)
Female representation in top management (2025)
We support the development of our employees through structured programs, individualized training and development opportunities, and a work environment designed to promote long-term well-being.
Since 2017, VTG has supported young people in Hamburg who, after completing their first school qualification, faced a difficult start to their professional lives due to social, educational, or cultural barriers. Through the VTG RailTrain program, we offer them the opportunity to secure an apprenticeship: each year, ten adolescents and young adults begin an apprenticeship as construction mechanics in our training workshop on the premises of the traditional Hamburg company Blohm+Voss. Throughout their apprenticeship, VTG provides individual support and guidance to the participants. In addition to technical skills, we also promote general education as well as language and social competencies. After successfully completing the program, we actively support the newly qualified construction mechanics in finding permanent employment.
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Maximilian Licht
Sustainability Manager