CM Insider

Motoring towards a cleaner, greener future

At a time when we’re seeing environmental effects as one of the few positives to come out of the pandemic, we need to embrace this change and the opportunity for the future. Three manufactures have been doing exactly that as part of their environmental efforts that go beyond what comes out of a vehicle's exhaust.

Volvo Cars has announced that its manufacturing plant in Chengdu, China, is now powered by 100% renewable electricity. Reducing the plant’s CO2 emissions by more than 11,000 tonnes per year, it brings the company’s global renewable electricity levels within its manufacturing network to 80%.

“Our ambition is to reduce our carbon footprint through concrete, tangible actions,” said Javier Varela, head of industrial operations and quality at Volvo Cars. “Securing a fully renewable electricity supply for our largest plant in China is a significant milestone and underlines our commitment to taking concrete, meaningful action.”

For the future, Volvo’s ambition is to have climate-neutral manufacturing by 2025. The long-term goal is to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.

A little closer to home, has also significantly reduced its five main production-related environmental factors since 2010. The carmaker has successfully lowered