The tyre industry has long been considered a high-energy consumption industry, and manufacturers based in China have therefore been profoundly impacted by their government’s carbon neutrality and carbon peaking policies. Prinx Chengshan comments that Shandong Province, where its factory in China is located, frequently issues guidance to aid qualitative development within the tyre industry.
Pirelli & C. SpA has secured a spot on the CDP Climate A list 2022, the fifth consecutive year it has done so. The company was also recently included in the Top 1%, the highest level of recognition within S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2023.
The International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) believes there are “no sustainable alternatives” to natural rubber. In order to gain a greater understanding of how climate change economically and socially impacts this industry, IRSG has enhanced its collaboration with the Singapore Agri-Food Lab (SAIL) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). This collaboration may expand in future to focus on sustainability in the supply chain beyond the plantation.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated Pirelli’s upgraded targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Four years ahead of schedule, the company reached the previous targets validated for Scopes 1 and 2 by the end of 2021.
Global non-profit CDP, which runs the Supplier Engagement Leader, has once again named Bridgestone Corporation to this world leading environmental disclosure platform. This is the third consecutive year and fifth occasion overall that CDP has included Bridgestone on its the Supplier Engagement Leader with the highest ‘A’ rating in Supplier Engagement Rating.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced a goal of reaching net-zero value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and its new Net-Zero Standard. The company also announced its commitment to achieve near-term science-based targets by 2030, and in 2022 will submit both targets to SBTi for independent validation.
Pirelli & C. SpA views its inclusion in CDP’s its Climate A list 2021 as confirmation that it is a “global leader in the fight against climate change.” It is one of just three tyre makers to gain a place on the international non-profit organisation’s list, the others being Bridgestone Corporation and Michelin Group.
This year, Goodyear asked fleet operators in Europe for their views on issues related to sustainability and what they’re doing to reduce carbon footprint. A total of 985 fleets from 36 European countries responded during August and September 2021, and the results of this 2021 Goodyear Sustainable Reality Survey are now out and available from Goodyear upon request. Responses suggest that sustainability has a significant prominence for operators in the transportation industry.
Recent years have seen tyre industry interest and investment in sustainability sharply increase. In August the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published an uncompromising report warning that “Scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system” and adding that “some…are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.” Here, British Tyre Manufacturers Association chief executive, Graham Willson explains why the UN red alert on climate change is a call to action and what it means for the UK tyre industry:
Continental is calling for politicians in its homeland to develop a more targeted concept for achieving carbon neutrality, and warns that now is the time to identify new employment opportunities brought about by climate transformation. Without a targeted concept and greater momentum, the company fears the German government’s determination to reach self-imposed climate targets by 2045 will result in serious disruption.
The vice chairman of Giti Group, Cherie Nursalim, has become the Indonesian government’s special advisor on climate. In addition to her leadership role at Giti Tire, Nuralim is also the vice chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and board member of Publicis Groupe in France, IMAGINE Collective with Paul Polman, and Partnering for Green Growth (P4G).
NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay’s NTDA Tyre Industry Conference 2021 speech covered a range of pressing topics, that – due to the impact of the pandemic and its associated lockdowns – couldn’t be addressed in-person before now: key worker lobbying, climate change and the importance of training and technicians were amongst the main topics.
Birla Carbon has announced an intent to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The carbon black manufacturer considers this goal a “natural progression in Birla Carbon’s leadership in the area of sustainability and circularity.” The company recently announced the availability of sustainable carbonaceous materials through the launch of its Continua brand.
The global struggle to reduce global warming through greater sustainability, conservation of resources and lowering of CO2 emissions is undisputedly one of the key problems our generation must address. Kraiburg Austria stresses that “the time for empty appeals, soapbox speeches and lip service is over,” adding that “coordinated measures need to be taken or introduced immediately to ensure the living conditions of future generations.”
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has pledged to support the recommendations given by the FSB’s (Financial Stability Board) Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). In a statement, the Japanese tyre and rubber products maker declares that moving forward, it will “strive to follow the TCFD recommendations by working to actively disclose information concerning both the risks and the opportunities that climate change presents” in regards to four key areas of its business: Governance, Strategy, Risk Management and Goals/Indicators.
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