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Volvo Cars aims to drive climate protection - with CO2-free steel and aluminum
The Swedish subsidiary of the Chinese Geely Group, Volvo Cars, has announced its intention to further intensify its efforts in climate protection. On the occasion of the UN Climate Conference in Dubai, the manufacturer reaffirmed its goal to become completely climate-neutral by 2040, with CO2 emissions per vehicle to be reduced by 40 percent by 2025 compared to 2018 levels, and by 75 percent by 2030. So far this year, these are already around 19 percent below the reference value from 2018, according to the manufacturer. A key element is seen in the switch to a fully electric vehicle fleet by 2030.
Joining the First Movers Coalition
To support its high ambitions, Volvo has now joined the First Movers Coalition (FMC) of the World Economic Forum and is leveraging its purchasing power to promote new and clean technologies such as nearly emission-free produced aluminum. The collaboration with Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB is also being further deepened to develop high-quality steel for use in the automotive industry, with almost no CO2 emissions during production. Volvo has already secured access to nearly emission-free primary steel and recycled steel sheets, and will use these in its vehicles starting in 2026.
“The UN Climate Conference in Dubai 2023 is a historic moment for climate protection. The world must act urgently to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. We are determined to do our part and call on leaders in business and politics around the world to also contribute their share,” appeals Javier Varela, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of Volvo Cars.
Volvo EX30 marks the start of a model offensive
At the beginning of the year, Volvo introduced the compact EX30, which is said to have the lowest CO2 footprint of any model the brand has produced so far. It is the first model in a series of new vehicles on the path to a fully electric model lineup by 2030. In the first nine months of this year, 16 percent of the vehicles sold by Volvo were already electric cars, according to their reports.
The era of the internal combustion engine is also coming to an end at Volvo: in early 2024, the last car with a diesel engine will be produced. All investments in research and development in this area have already been halted. The manufacturer wants to concentrate its efforts on "modern and forward-looking technologies," addressing hesitant competitors.
Emissions in the supply chain and logistics are also to be reduced
However, the company intends to do even more. This includes reducing CO2 emissions across the entire supply chain and in all business areas, including logistics, by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Last year, 69 percent of the company's activities were powered by climate-neutral energy, and now all factories worldwide are running on 100 percent climate-neutral electricity, according to the company. In the summer, the Swedes also announced that they would be the first global automaker to shift a significant portion of their intercontinental sea freight from fossil fuels to biofuel, reducing CO2 emissions in sea freight by 84 percent.
"We have used the UN Climate Conference in the past to advance collective climate action, and this time is no different," explained Jonas Otterheim, Head of Climate Action at Volvo Cars.
Along with other like-minded companies, Otterheim said they are trying to develop and disseminate transformative techniques to decarbonize industrial processes, some of which are very old. By joining the FMC and making tangible progress in our partnership with SSAB, they aim to demonstrate "that this important transition is not only possible but already underway."
Realistic: A long road to climate protection
The UN Climate Conference is set against the backdrop of the United Nations Climate Report, which was released in September. The report comes to the sobering conclusion that despite some progress, the world is still far from limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The report also includes recommendations for specific sectors, including the transportation sector. Regarding the automotive industry, it emphasizes "that the gradual phase-out of internal combustion engines and the adoption of electric vehicles offer the greatest mitigation potential in this sector." This conclusion closely aligns with the measures the Swedes are taking to electrify their fleet and move away from fossil-fuel-powered vehicles.
Translated automatically from German.
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