Among the biggest consumers of energy in all of Germany is Deutsche Bahn. To those that know Deutsche Bahn, only one thing can be said that it’s among the largest corporations across the Olaf Scholz-led country.
However, those who don’t quite know what Deutsche Bahn is, suffices to say that it’s the railway company that makes Europe’s second-largest country (in terms of population) move every single day, week after week, month after month and year after year.
The national railway company of Germany today holds the collective conscience of a nation known for its marvellous engineering expertise.
But where it stands at the moment, then the 1994-founded organization without which German national commute cannot be imagined, has run into a bit of a problem.
And while it is not some technical snag; it is a national-level issue that, should it go unaddressed, will morph into a predicament.
How to lower energy consumption is something that most Germans, including corporations, not just individuals are worried about. Corporations like Deutsche Bahn, which happens to be the biggest consumer of electricity, therefore, have to set a fine example that others too can follow.
But having said that, just how is the DB going to go about it?
As a matter of fact, the company headquartered in Berlin, the national capital of Germany, has already begun to take a positive affirmation in that regard. So what is it? How’s DB going to counter the mounting challenge that is lessening the soaring energy costs?
The following inputs were taken from a current story in the leading digital publications based in Germany: DW.com
There are a variety of ways in which Deutsche Bahn staff can aid the energy-saving operation, such as only using lights, heating, and air-conditioning when necessary “or maybe using the stairs instead of the elevator,” Seiler said, before adding, “even small savings add up to a significant amount.”
But the bonuses could be increased going forward!
The bonus will be included in employees’ paychecks and if Deutsche Bahn achieves a particular target, the financial incentive could be increased to €150. However, Seiler did not specify exactly what that energy-saving figure was.
He added that the rail operator would be introducing other measures to save energy, such as the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems with alternative heating systems and the removal of the exterior lighting of its headquarters at Potsdamer Platz in the German capital.
As of Tuesday evening, the LED lights in the Deutsche Bahn Tower will no longer shine. Only the logo and the position lights for air traffic control will remain switched on. Similar measures are being examined for other buildings used by the operator, Seiler said.
All of that said, there’s hope that Germany will gradually counter the bull having taken it by its horns. In hindsight, such a promising step taken by the giant railway network will also inspire other companies to take similar steps in the said direction.
Countries that have tasked themselves to achieve stiff climate targets (related to energy consumption reduction) are going to have to take similar steps. Nice then to see the strongman of Europe with a definite course of action.