German car manufacturer BMW has announced a major strategic shift towards reducing CO2 emissions over the next ten years in the fight against climate change. BMW’s Chairman of the board of Management, Oliver Zipse made the announcement, which looks to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by a third by 2030, through scientific-based targets and electric vehicle production. The aim of the strategy is to reduce CO2 emissions on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. Taking last year’s vehicle production of 2.5 million vehicles, the reduction in emissions would equate to 40 million tonnes of CO2 over the life cycle in 2030. The company is also aiming to to lower emissions at both production and sites by 80%, with the expansion of renewable energy sources at its worldwide locations. “I firmly believe the fight against climate change and how we use resources will decide the future of our society—and of the BMW Group,” said Oliver Zipse. “As a premium car company, it is our ambition to lead the way in sustainability. That is why we are taking responsibility here and now and making these issues central to our future strategic direction. This new strategic direction will be anchored in all divisions—from administration and purchasing to development and production, all the way to sales. We are taking sustainability to the next level. “We have made a very clear commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. With this new strategic direction, we are therefore setting a course that is in accordance with the well below two-degrees target. We are not just making abstract statements—we have developed a detailed ten-year plan with annual interim goals for the time frame up to 2030. We will report on our progress every year and measure ourselves against these targets. The compensation of our Board of Management and executive management will also be tied to this.”
The UK Steps Up its Commitment to Carbon Reduction: A Path Towards the 1.5°C Goal
The UK’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, tells the COP29 climate conference he is committed…