I’m sure you’ve heard of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Soon it will be St. Patrick’s Day… However, have you ever heard of Earth Day? If you haven’t, it’s on April 22nd every year. Earth day is about the environment, what we are doing about climate change and raising awareness.
Sustainability Mission
Porsche’s target is to become CO2 neutral by 2030. That’s just 8 years away from now! This is a really ambitious deadline to have set. The EU is only hoping to achieve this by 2050 and other auto competitors by 2040. What steps have been made to achieve this?
1. Taycan Launch
Porsche launched the all-electric Taycan in 2019. This is the first Porsche to be carbon neutral from the outset. Porsche aims to have half of all of its vehicles be electric in 2025. However, this wouldn’t mean much if their production was CO2 intensive.
2. CO2 neutral factories
Porsche has slowly been moving their factories over to carbon neutral energy. This started in 2017 with the use of renewable power in all its factories. Porsche has also installed its own generation facilities using combined heat and power (CHP) technology. Over the years building efficiency has been improved. This ended with the Leipzig factory winning a platinum award from the German Sustainable Building Council. Panamera and Macan bodies are produced at this facility. It is run by a photovoltaic system that generates 4380 megawatt hours each year.
“Our objective is not merely to produce a CO2-neutral zero-emissions car, but rather to ensure that we do not leave any environmental footprint at all,” says Albrecht Reimold, member of the Executive Board for production and logistics at Porsche.
At the start of 2021 the three German plants of Zuffenhausen, Leipzig and Weissach were completely carbon neutral.
3. CO2 neutral vehicle use cycle
So, we’ve seen that Porsche is moving towards producing 100% CO2 neutral vehicles. What about the energy that they use during service? This is a much more difficult target to ‘decarbonize’. Many Porsches are operated outside of German borders, so plans need to be made abroad. The company is investing more than 10 billion euros over the next 10 years in renewable power generation, globally. If this isn’t a clear statement that climate change is everyone’s problem, we don’t know what is. For vehicles that still use internal combustion engine (ICE) technology, Porsche invests in requisite carbon offset schemes.
4. Sustainable Supply Chains
The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So, by placing sustainability demands on suppliers Porsche is not only ensuring their future, but also that of the materials in their vehicles. Since 2019 all Porsche suppliers need to have a S-rating in order to be able to supply parts to the brand. (S is for sustainability.) In 2020 Porsche joined the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI). This initiative ensures that mica (a mineral used in automotive paint) is responsibly sourced. Recent sustainable supply chain developments include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. These comb supply chains for possible future sustainability problems.
5.#Project1Hour
On climate day Porsche dedicates 1 hour across its entire workforce to the brainstorming and climate awareness initiatives. The project includes seminars and climate related quizzes. Having sustainability focused employees is critical to Porsche’s sustainable future.
Our Thoughts?
As you can see, Porsche has been less than idle in its plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. What are your sustainability goals? Have you thought about what you are doing towards fighting climate change?