Volvo climate-saving project expands partnership Post Date: 2012-02-29 Volvo Group is expanding its co-operation with WWF Climate Savers. The agreement is based on Volvo Group's commitment to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 30 million tons from construction equipment, buses and trucks manufactured through to 2014. In an extension of the policy, Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Buses have been enlisted in the agreement and Volvo's joint-venture company, SDLG, which manufactures construction equipment in China, will become the first-ever Chinese company to be a member of Climate Savers.
“By expanding the partnership with the WWF to include our buses and construction equipment, the Volvo Group demonstrates that it is serious about continuously raising the targets in terms of reducing carbon-dioxide emissions from our products, by complying with our vision for sustainable and carbon-neutral future transportation,” says Volvo's CEO Olof Persson.
“I am incredibly proud of all the skilled and committed employees worldwide, who make it possible for the Volvo Group to continuously make the progress necessary to be in the forefront of reducing carbon-dioxide emissions. By setting tough environmental targets, we contribute to sustainable development, while our products become more competitive and we reduce fuel costs for our customers.”
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected environmental organisations, whose vision is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. WWF's Climate Savers program involves multinational companies in the battle to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
These companies pledge to reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions, the results being reviewed by independent technical experts. The agreed target must be more ambitious than the company would have set on its own, and must also signify that the company is leading its sector in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
"Emissions in the transport sector have a major impact on the climate and must be met with vigorous initiatives. It is therefore very encouraging that the Volvo Group now wants to broaden their cooperation with WWF by expanding to new business areas,” said Håkan Wirtén, Secretary General of WWF Sweden.
The Volvo Group became the world's first automotive manufacturer to join Climate Savers in 2010, inking an agreement whereby the Group's truck brands committed to reduce the total amount of CO2 emitted during the lifetime of trucks manufactured and sold from 2009 to 2014 by 13 million tons (11.8m tonnes) when compared to trucks manufactured in 2008. This will be accomplished by launching the latest technology in fuel efficiency.
In the next step, which started on January 1st this year, Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Buses will be included in the agreement. Thanks to improved fuel efficiency, the total amount of CO2 emitted by trucks, construction equipment and buses manufactured within the Volvo Group until 2014, will be reduced by more than 30 million tons (27.2m tonnes), compared to vehicles manufactured in 2008.
The agreement between Volvo and WWF applies to AB Volvo and the Volvo Group's brands Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Buses, Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Renault Trucks, UD Trucks and SDLG.