Swedish based global truck maker, Scania is claiming that to be the the first major manufacturer of heavy commercial vehicles to have its far- reaching climate targets officially been approved bythe Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).
Scania has declared it is committed to achieving the Paris agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and has committed to cut CO2 emissions from its own operations by 50 per cent by 20251, and reduce emissions from its products by 20per cent during the same period.
Scania’s President and CEO Henrik Henriksson said that since more than 90 per cent of the CO2 emissions generated in Scania’s business occurs after the products leave their factories, it is imperative that the company considers these emissions.
“Limiting ourselves to only reducing our own emissions is simply not enough. We will thereforework in close cooperation with our customers in operating their trucks, buses and engines with lessclimate impact,” Henriksson said.
The SBTi approval recognises that Scania’s targets align with the most strict decarbonisationpathway defined to date – 1.5°C for Scope 1 and 2. The targets that Scania has set include bothdirect and indirect emissions from its operations (Scope
1 and 2), as well as emissions from when the products are in use (Scope 3).
“We congratulate Scania for its commitment to take the urgent action needed to address theclimate crisis,” said Alexander Farsan, global lead for Science Based Targets at WWF, one of theScience Based Targets initiative (SBTi) partners.
“They are the first heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer to set an ambitious 1.5°C target through the SBTi and commit to reducing emissions not only from their own operations, but alsofrom the use of their vehicles,” Farsan added.
“Science is today clear that our future on Earth depends on holding global warming well-below 2°C,which means cutting emissions by half every decade. Science based targets are critical to succeedin this endeavor,” said Johan Rockström, professor in Earth system science, and Director of thePotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.
“Heavy transport is a backbone of our societies, and Scania’s commitment to science based targetsfor climate, along its entire value chain, will not only contribute to reduce climate risks, but will also send a strong signal through the economy, that decarbonising is real, is now, and constitutes aninvestment in future competitiveness,” Rockström added.
Over the past several years, Scania says it has significantly reduced CO2 emissions from its ownoperations and from its own transport and logistics. Scania also claims it has worked to minimise emissions from its products through fuel efficiency measures and for more than 25 years, the company has provided the industry’s broadest range of products that run on alternatives to fossil fuel.
In September 2019, Scania announced its aim to set Science Based Targets . The approval ofthese targets now marks another major milestone on the journey towards fossil-free transport.
“Regardless of whether we, as at present, are in the midst of a crisis or not, we will notcompromise on sustainability. Driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system is Scania’spurpose and we remain fully committed,” said Henriksson.
