Volvo last year reduced the total lifetime carbon dioxide emissions of its products by 40 million tons against a 2008 baseline, besting its goal by 10 million tons, according to the company’s 2014 sustainability report.
The automaker also surpassed its target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its production plants by 0.2 million tons (12 percent), compared to 2008, instead achieving a 20 percent reduction (0.4 million ton) by the end of last year.
Other 2014 highlights from Volvo’s report include:
- achieved ISO 14001 certification for 98 percent of its major production plants;
- assessed 100 percent of automotive products suppliers in high-risk countries;
- ensured more than 94 percent of automotive products suppliers are certified to ISO 14001; and
- introduced the greenhouse gas (GHG) 2014-certified engines for Volvo Trucks’ VN series, offering North American customers fuel-saving potential of up to 3 percent.
Last year, the Volvo Construction Equipment’s Braås site in southern Sweden became the automaker’s first carbon-neutral facility — and is claimed to be the first construction equipment production plant in the world run entirely on renewables. The 45,000 m2 site, which specializes in the design and manufacture of articulated haulers, is powered entirely by renewable energy sources — including wind, biomass and hydropower.
In other automakers news, General Motors recently announced it is for the first time procuring wind to power its manufacturing operations, enabling one of its Mexico facilities’ electricity needs to be run mostly on renewable energy. This addition of 34 megawatts of wind power allowed GM to achieve its corporate goal of renewable energy use four years early.