Hamburg Hochbahn executive: Climate goals require CO2 compensation

Merle Schmidt-Brunn, the sustainability executive at Hamburg Hochbahn, stated that the company can only meet the city’s climate neutrality goal by 2040 through CO2 compensation. While the company is on track regarding its own direct emissions by electrifying its bus fleet and harbor ferries, Schmidt-Brunn noted that Scope 3 emissions—those occurring within the value chain—remain a challenge.

These emissions are primarily driven by suppliers during large-scale infrastructure projects. For example, while a climate strategy for the construction of the U5 line aims to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 70 percent compared to traditional methods, Schmidt-Brunn maintains that reaching zero Scope 3 emissions by 2040 is impossible without offsetting. She suggested that the company must work with the city on compensation measures, such as the renaturation of moors in Schleswig-Holstein, to balance unavoidable emissions.