Reducing carbon emissions— Volvo’s new ambitious climate plan

Volvo Cars recently launched one of the most ambitious plans in the automotive industry, aiming to reduce its lifecycle carbon footprint per car by 40% from 2018 to 2025. This is the first, tangible step towards Volvo Cars’ ambition of becoming a climate-neutral company by 2040.

This announcement further supports the ideals of the recently conducted The Future of Electric Forum organized by Volvo Philippines. The local event served as a platform for sustainable mobility discussions. At the same time, the Philippine arm of the Swedish automotive marque Volvo is the first luxury car company in the country to bring in a fleet of T8 Twin Engine Plug-in Hybrids as an actual solution to the current climate crisis. The stately Volvo S90 sedan, the dynamic Volvo XC60 SUV, and its larger sibling, the Volvo XC90 SUV are now available in the Philippines with Plug-in Hybrid variants.

Organized in cooperation with Partnership for Clean Air, a multi-sector network that promotes air quality management, this forum has provided a venue for key environmental personalities in the country to train the spotlight on climate issues and cars.

Dare to Change

The forum opened with a daring reply to the call of the times with Volvo PH President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Alberto B. Arcilla proudly saying, “Yes, we dare.” This bold statement is a reflection of what the global Volvo community is saying in response to the environmental challenges that the world is facing.

As one of the first car companies in the world to acknowledge the environmental impact that cars make, Volvo has taken concrete steps in finding solutions to mitigate the environmental effects of cars. Since the 1970s, Volvo has been developing and innovating systems, especially in the field of electric powertrains.

Towards and Electrifying Future

Volvo Cars’ climate plan represents concrete actions in line with the global Paris climate agreement of 2015, which seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Volvo Cars’ 2040 ambitions go beyond addressing tailpipe emissions through all-out electrification, another area in which the company is at the forefront. It will also tackle carbon emissions in its manufacturing network, its wider operations, its supply chain and through recycling and reuse of materials.

As a near term step towards its 2040 ambition, Volvo Cars is implementing a set of ambitious, immediate measures in its efforts to reduce the company’s lifecycle CO2 footprint per car by 40 percent between 2018 and 2025. At that point in time, the company also aims for its global manufacturing network to be fully climate neutral.

“We are transforming our company through concrete actions, not symbolic pledges,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive. “So at Volvo Cars, we will address what we control, which is both our operations and the tailpipe emissions of our cars. And we will address what we can influence, by calling on our suppliers and the energy sector to join us in aiming for a climate-neutral future.”

To realize the significant 40 percent reduction of its CO2 footprint per car by 2025, the company has devised a number of ambitions for different parts of its operations. The previously communicated goal of generating 50 percent of global sales from fully electric cars by 2025 is a prominent one, which would result in a 50 percent reduction in tailpipe carbon emissions per car between 2018 and 2025.

Other short-term ambitions include a 25 percent reduction of CO2 emissions related to its global supply chain by 2025, a 25 percent share of recycled plastics in new Volvo cars by 2025 and a 25 percent reduction of carbon emissions generated by the company’s overall operations, including manufacturing and logistics.

Volvo Cars was the first conventional car maker to commit to all-out electrification and phasing out cars powered only by an internal combustion engine. As of this year, every new Volvo launched will be electrified starting with its first fully electric car, the XC40
Recharge.

Volvo T8 Twin Engine Plug-in Hybrids: The Future is Here

At the forum, Mr. Niclas Bratt, Head of Propulsion Energy Systems and Controls & Calibration for Volvo Asia Pacific, emphasized that the time to go electric is now. Global trends such as urbanization, road traffic and commuting time, and air pollution have led people to look for other more sustainable ways of traveling.

With the Volvo T8 Twin Engine Plug-in Hybrids, people can already enjoy a safe and comfortable drive. Owning a Volvo Plug-in Hybrid affords people to make the most of their time while stuck in traffic as these models offer a silent ride inside a cabin that speaks luxurious comfort, on-the-go connectivity, and exceptional road performance.

Aside from having cleaner air inside a Volvo cabin, emissions are also effectively cut down to as low as zero especially when opting to drive in Pure electric mode. This is not only good for the environment, but it also saves on fuel costs and multiple trips to the gas station. A Volvo universal charger automatically comes with the vehicle, making it convenient to recharge the car’s battery. People will enjoy a charge-and-drive lifestyle
with a Volvo Plug-in Hybrid.

Plug-in to the Future with Volvo

Volvo’s Market Area Director for the Asia Pacific, Mr. Jakob Olsson shared that Volvo is fully committed to sustainability and electrification. Climate change and pollution issues are taken very seriously at Volvo that is why there are a host of programs that are already in place to achieve the target of putting 1 million electrified vehicles on the road by 2025.

As a human-centric company, Volvo continues to find solutions to make everyday driving as rewarding as possible. With its electrified drivetrains that deliver exhilarating performance while still caring for people and the environment, now is the best time to switch to Volvo electric mobility.