BMW Group Joins “Getting to Zero Coalition” — 1st Carmaker To Do So

December 6th, 2019 by Cynthia Shahan

Being superbly happy with the performance, and yes, the style of the BMW i3 that I drive, it’s nice to hear BMW is continuing to focus on manufacturing electric cars in a green way. The company actually operates a sustainability strategy that exists along the entire value chain, supporting sustainability more deeply than in the cars or car factories themselves.

The most recent news on this front is that BMW Group joined the “Getting to Zero Coalition” ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) in Madrid, Spain. The objective is decarbonization of international maritime shipping. Driving zero emissions is one thing, but buying from a company that offsets carbon emissions in the production and transport of its EVs is also essential for the actual transition towards successful planetary sustainably.

By 2023, BMW Group will be offering 25 electrified models, and its factories in Europe are already being supplied with 100% green electricity — since 2017.

"Climate science must be our common language," said @PEspinosaC at the presentation of #10ClimateInsights at #COP25 > https://t.co/dl1AN8qPvE Understanding the latest climate science is important for countries to adopt much more ambitious #ClimateAction goals @FutureEarth pic.twitter.com/dlUXDywSjT — UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) December 6, 2019

BMW Group is the first carmaker to join the Getting to Zero Coalition. Kudos to BMW Group for being a leader here. Transporting valuable non-polluting EVs in a greener way or even with net zero emissions is also important for addressing our climate crisis.

The “Getting to Zero Coalition” is a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the Friends of Ocean Action, and the World Economic Form.

Maritime transport currently accounts for 50% of the BMW Group’s transport chain CO2 emissions. Note, though, that this initiative is aimed at using zero-emission cargo vessels from 2030.

“Globally, around three per cent of the overall greenhouse gas emissions come from maritime transport — and the trend is strongly upwards. As part of the Getting to Zero Coalition, the BMW Group now wants to achieve a total elimination of carbon emissions by using carbon-free fuels and new propulsion systems as well as optimizing energy efficiency.”

The company has and continues to focus on lower emissions in production. “The BMW Group has succeeded, for example, in reducing the consumption of resources and emissions per vehicle produced by more than 50 per cent since 2006. In addition, all plants operated by the BMW Group and the three BBA joint venture plants in China will be supplied exclusively with energy from renewable sources from next year.”

“Maritime transport is crucial for supplying the BMW Group’s international manufacturing network and for the global distribution of vehicles. We see the Getting to Zero Coalition of various governments, companies and other cross-sector stakeholders as a unique opportunity to continuously minimize carbon emissions in the maritime sector as well,” emphasizes Jürgen Maidl, Senior Vice President Production Network and Supply Chain Management at the BMW Group. “We are delighted to be the first carmaker to join this coalition and thus lead the way towards more sustainability.”

The press release continues: “BMW Group reconfirms its clear commitment to the UN Agenda 2030. The announcement that the BMW Group has joined the Getting to Zero Coalition in advance of COP 25, taking place from 2 to 13 December in Madrid, is no coincidence. The United Nations Climate Change Conferences and the BMW Group’s activities are linked by a long history of close collaboration. The BMW Group has actively taken part in the COP climate change conferences on a regular basis since 2008. This year, the company will contribute new ideas and its technical expertise on sustainable development once again.

“The focus of the activities will be on the renewed involvement of the BMW Group as a headline sponsor of the Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF) on 10 and 11 December 2019. The SIF has been one of the leading sustainability conferences in the UN COP fringe program for many years and is regularly attended by global key stakeholders from politics, industry, science and society, who use it as a platform for discussion on the challenges of sustainable development. In this context, the BMW Group will mainly present current developments in electric mobility and demonstrate how smart and digital technologies can contribute to sustainable mobility.”

"People must understand the basics of climate science. In a sea of competing voices, science must be a common language. We are approaching a series of tipping points – we must act urgently –@PEspinosaC at launch of #10ClimateInsights. Press release: https://t.co/djg5LLFAU9 #COP25 pic.twitter.com/iZYqy5dxBa — UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) December 6, 2019

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