Based on the top-level development strategy of carbon neutrality, car companies have raised the banner of ESG in the past one or two years.
The so-called ESG is actually an investment concept and enterprise evaluation standard that focuses on the environmental, social and governance performance of enterprises rather than financial performance, which means E (Environment environment), S (Social Ethics), G (Governance Corporate Governance). To a certain extent, ESG is also a measure for relevant investment institutions to review whether a company's products are low-carbon and environmentally friendly, and whether the company's production and operation are green and low-carbon.
Although it was a concept that appeared in the 1980s, ESG has once again become a hot topic similar to the law of "fashion is like a reincarnation". In particular, luxury brands that have been committed to being at the forefront have begun to implement ESG.
On April 11, Mercedes-Benz hosted the inaugural ESG Forum and unveiled a timetable and roadmap for reducing carbon emissions.
Mercedes-Benz aims to reduce the full-life cycle carbon emissions of each passenger car by an average of 50% by 2030 compared to 2020.
The full-life cycle emissions mentioned above refer to the carbon emissions of products from demand analysis, design, manufacturing, sales, use, maintenance, end-of-life to recycling. This carbon reduction route is not just a simple phrase "burn less oil, use more electricity".
According to the carbon reduction route announced by Mercedes-Benz, the process of reducing carbon emissions of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle includes electrification of the product lineup, greening of charging energy, upgrading of battery technology, and extensive use of recycled materials and renewable energy in the production process.
Last year, Mercedes-Benz's global passenger car sales were 2.09 million units, of which pure electric and plug-in hybrid models accounted for 13%, reaching 269,000 units. Mercedes-Benz said in March that its passenger car lineup had reduced CO2 emissions to 115 grams per kilometer in Europe, meeting its stated target in Europe.
Among the existing lineup of electric products, Mercedes-Benz currently has six models: EQA, EQB, EQC, EQS, EQE and EQV. With the introduction of EQS SUVs, EQE SUVs and EQTs, the number of pure electric models will increase to 9.
With a longer-term goal, Mercedes-Benz plans to increase the proportion of plug-in hybrid and pure electric models to 50% by 2025; by 2030, fully prepare for fully pure electric in the market where conditions permit.
Under the Electric Product Program, product design is also a part of reducing carbon emissions. Mercedes-Benz's carbon reduction route, which includes the application of "design for the environment" and "design for recycling" concepts to material selection, will increase the proportion of renewable materials used per vehicle to 40% by 2030.
At present, the sustainable materials in some Mercedes-Benz models have been mass-produced, including seat decoration fabrics made from recycled PET plastic bottles, automotive carpets made from recycled fishnet yarns and waste carpets. For example, cable conduits from EQS and EQE will be processed from recycled domestic waste, and more than 80 kilograms of parts in the EQS are recycled from recycled materials and renewable raw materials.
In terms of battery design, Mercedes-Benz plans to innovate battery technology, promote battery recycling, and reduce the carbon footprint. In Mercedes-Benz's view, this is the most powerful grip to achieve carbon dioxide emission reduction.
In the current EU's power mix, supply chains and production account for more than half of its co2 emissions over its entire life cycle. The use of renewable energy can significantly reduce the share of carbon emissions in the supply and production chains. After the shift to carbon-neutral production, the overall emissions of battery packs in the production process will be reduced by 20%.
Mercedes-Benz also plans to use renewable energy sources for charging. In Europe, around 300,000 public charging stations in the Mercedes-Benz Mercedes me Charge network have introduced a "green charge" function, and when customers charge their vehicles, Mercedes-Benz will ensure that an equal amount of electricity from renewable sources is fed into the grid.
In addition, manufacturing can also reduce carbon emissions. As promised, all Mercedes-Benz plants around the world will be carbon neutral by 2022. At the same time, by promoting the use of solar and wind energy in major production bases, the production capacity of renewable energy will be further increased, and additional energy will be purchased through the PPAs to meet more than 70% of the energy demand from renewable energy.
Mercedes-Benz mentioned that the ESG philosophy is fully implemented in all business units of the company. Mercedes-Benz's carbon emission reduction obviously wants to achieve carbon emission reduction in every link from new car design, raw material procurement, battery production, vehicle manufacturing, and then to consumer use.
In addition to Mercedes-Benz, a number of traditional giants have actually released carbon-neutral and technology routes. For example, BMW plans to achieve an average co2 emissions of bicycles throughout its life cycle by at least one-third by 2030 compared to 2019; Volvo hopes to establish the company as a global climate-neutral benchmark by 2040; General Motors plans to achieve "carbon neutrality" in its global products and operations by 2040; and Volkswagen And Ford plans to achieve "carbon neutrality" by 2050.
In contrast, Mercedes-Benz's carbon reduction target is similar to BMW's, which is a "radical" one, and has made progress in stages.