OEMs Reaffirm Their Commitment to Greener Future

In the wake of Earth Day 2022, which aims to raise awareness on the urgency of reducing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global temperature warming below 1.,5° ºC,. The automotive OEMs shared their strategies towards a greener future. The transportation sector is one of the main generators of the greenhouse gas emissions.

By focusing on operations, materials, design and production, companies can greatly accelerate their sustainable mobility efforts. “Sustainability is not a technology with which the car moves; it is a 360° execution that considers product design, production, materials, operation and what happens to the materials afterwards,” said Juan de Dios Gómez, Director General, Irizar Mexico, to MBN.

“Every action counts. The time to tackle climate change and choose a sustainable future is now. This is what today’s Earth Day is meant to remind us of,” said Mercedes-Benz. The automaker is reportedly pursuing a holistic approach to sustainability as it aims to achieve be a CO2 -neutral across its entire value chain and its vehicles’ life cycle by 2039.  Mercedes-Benz is incorporating recycled materials in the production of some of its vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz EQC, for example, can be ordered with components that replace plastic for recycled materials and textiles made entirely out of recycled PET bottles, as reported by MBN.

Audi Mexico is also on board the sustainability train. The brand aligned the operations of its San José Chiapa plant, in Puebla, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by incorporating renewable energy for the international production of the Q5. This move is in agreement with the seventh  7th SDG,  which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Audi Mexico has also been certified in the Management System of Energy to improve the energetic performance of the plant; an effort is linked to the 9th ninth SDG that promotes inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fosters innovation. Moreover, over 90 percent of its waste in Mexico is recycled thanks to the efficient management of waste, said the brand, which also reduced by 80 percent its greenhouse emissions.

Ford was recognized as the automotive industry leader for environmental performance in the 2022 Ranking of America’s Most JUST Companies. “At Ford, our goal is to create a positive impact on people and the planet. Because the future of this company centers on a purpose bigger than building vehicles,” said Mary Wroten, Director, Global sustainability and ESG, at Ford Motor Company . Recently, Ford announced the separation of its electric vehicle (EV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle businesses as part of its plan to become a leader in the EV market.

For its part, Nissan’s Sustainability Strategy aims to achieve carbon neutrality across the vehicle life cycle by 2050. “At Nissan, we are not only creating innovative cars and technology, we are also innovating manufacturing as we continue to move toward our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,” said Nissan. In Mexico, its plant in Aguascalientes stores 19,000 m3 of rainwater, which represents 40 percent of the water used at the facility. The use of rainwater has allowed the plant to avoid the extraction of 53,300 m3 of groundwater from the area.

General Motors (GM) of Mexico reaffirmed some of its commitments to progress towards a sustainable and equitable mobility by sharing its environmental strategies. The automaker uses renewable energies in its global manufacturing facilities. GM also claims to recycle materials in each stage of the life cycle of the products and is also increasing the use of sustainable materials.