Michelin innovates for a greener world

Company leverages strengths to promote environmental goals in China

A city's industrial sustainability directly influences their development level and quality, noted by Asia-Pacific Industrial Sustainability Index 2022.

Four Chinese cities — Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Shanghai — are among the top 10 in terms of overall score ranking, according to the report released by the Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance at Tsinghua University and APEC China Business Council in late December.

China has promoted the green development of economy and society in recent years. It aims to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and realize carbon neutrality before 2060.

French mobility company Michelin said it has great confidence in China's ability to achieve the goals and publicized its own target and approach of sustainability early on.

Michelin believes that everything will be sustainable in the future. It considers the best balance between the people, profit and the planet in all its actions.

The company announced its strategy for 2030 back in 2021. It aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent in production and energy fields when compared to 2010 and realize carbon neutrality in manufacturing, energy and transport spheres by 2050.

It hopes to increase the proportion of sustainable raw materials in tire products to 40 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050.

Michelin said it believes the relationship between carbon neutrality and economic benefits is not black or white. As environmental protection is gradually becoming a social consensus, businesses have to orient their products and industrial activities towards this, it added.

Ye Fei, president and CEO of Michelin China, said: "It is necessary to build a sustainable ecosystem to be on track for reaching the dual carbon goals, where innovation, the conversion of thinking patterns and action and also widespread cooperation are particularly important."

Having developed for more than three decades in China, Michelin boasts strength, boldness and spirit toward a sustainable future, Ye said.

Innovation is its strength

To promote the achievement of the carbon-related goals, green and low-carbon science and technology will emerge faster, which can advance companies' sustainable innovation.

Michelin has long been committed to such innovation as it considers what it can provide for the market in the long run instead of short-term benefits. How innovation leads progress is a strong mission rooted in those working at Michelin.

A concept tire named Vision was launched by Michelin in 2017. It is inflation-exempt and recyclable and can be made via 3D printing technology, which reflects the company's orientation of developing products that can provide safer and more sustainable transport approaches.

New energy vehicles have thrived in recent years. Michelin launched new tires dedicated to electric automobiles in China, a quick response to carmakers and general consumers.

The Chinese market has topped production and sales of NEVs for eight years in a row. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed the country had made more than 7.05 million such vehicles and sold almost 6.88 million in 2022.

Rapid growth of the NEV market brings opportunities to the tire industry. The actions made by Michelin have been widely recognized among NEV companies and owners. The company's tires account for a big percentage of the total used for midrange and high-end NEVs in China.

Because of electric motors' instant torque and increased battery weight, NEV tires are more likely to suffer from abrasions than those of conventional vehicles.

Michelin has innovated technologies for low rolling resistance, duration, bearing capacity and noise reduction of tires. Currently, all tires produced by the company boast low rolling resistance.

A majority of electric buses in Beijing and logistics vehicles of several domestic courier companies are equipped with Michelin's tires featuring low rolling resistance.

Michelin's sustainable innovation is not merely about tires. Michelin is determined to become a world leader in hydrogen fuel cell systems through Symbio, its joint venture with Faurecia. This is the ambition of the Michelin Group, which has been developing research and development expertise in this field over 20 years.

In June 2020, Michelin and Symbio joined forces with the Mission H24 program to introduce fuel cell technology to endurance racing. Michelin also designed the car's tires containing 53 percent sustainable materials.

Michelin and Symbio now have access to a real-life laboratory for developing sustainable, hydrogen-based solutions. It plans to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an annual sports car race held in France, in 2025. The car only discharges water vapor and so can be said to have "no emissions", Ye said.

The dual carbon goals have become a hot issue among companies and individuals. Michelin is focusing on the life cycle of tires to aid in the attainment of these goals.

It is taking action to make innovations in sectors ranging from natural rubber planting, R&D of high-tech materials, manufacturing in plants and transportation, use and recycling of products, vehicle maintenance and R&D of hydrogen-powered transport.

To achieve its own carbon-related targets, Michelin designed its technical paths on two aspects, raising energy efficiency and reducing the amount of carbon emissions.

All its plants have formulated their own action plans for energy conservation and emission reduction.

Its plant in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, has seen its first-phase solar project generate electricity. The plants in Minhang and Baoshan districts of Shanghai are also promoting such projects.

The enterprise has a well-established energy management system and is considering long-term plans for reducing carbon emissions. It increased operational efficiency of equipment, improved production technology such as vulcanization and applied heat pumps to conserve energy in recent years.

Intelligent manufacturing and digitization have also been advanced at Michelin. The company uses big data to increase the efficiency of energy use and cut pollutant and carbon discharges.

Building boldness

As sustainable development is a global issue, it needs efforts from not just one company, but the whole industry and society at large. In the past decades, Michelin has been promoting various types of cooperation to move toward a sustainable future.

The Movin'On summit was created and inspired by Michelin in 2017 and is formerly known as Michelin Challenge Bibendum. It has attracted policy makers, entrepreneurs, scientists, scholars and people working at non-governmental organizations to discuss transportation challenges, where decarbonizing is a key topic.

The Movin'On summit was established out of a common vision shared by all its members: mobility is at the heart of human development, but must evolve within a sustainable framework: safer, greener, more connected, more inclusive, and more efficient.

Today, Movin'On has become a world-leading ecosystem of strategic anticipation and co-innovation for sustainable mobility, which provides concrete solutions and innovations for everyone's mobility needs, with the aim of contributing to societal progress while acting for the planet.

Michelin is also a member of the Tire Industry Project which was founded under the framework of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in 2005.Its mission lies in discerning how the life cycle of tires influences the environment and people's health and formulating detailed goals and action plans.

TIP has made several notable achievements: releasing a guideline for waste tire management, issuing several study reports on tire and road wear particles and formulating key environmental performance indicators related to TIP members' production.

Its 10 member companies drew up a road map for the tire industry to attain sustainable development goals and set seven action plans on supply chains, operations and also products and services.

They desire to make the natural rubber value chain fair, just and environmentally harmless and implement sustainable purchasing. They hope that smart tires and digitized solutions can speed up the conversion into sustainable transport.

A series of cooperation projects are under way in different regions and fields.

Michelin is partnered with the European BlackCycle project which recycles scrap tires to get high-quality raw materials, which are used to make new tires and other products.

It has joined hands with Canadian company Pyrowave to reclaim styrene from plastic in packaging, insulating boards and home appliances to make synthetic rubber.

Michelin has begun construction on its first tire recycling plant in collaboration with Enviro, a Swedish company that has developed a patented technology to recover carbon black particles, oil, steel and gas from end-of-life tires. Based in Chile's Antofagasta region, the plant will be able to recycle 30,000 metric tons of earthmover tires a year, or nearly 60 percent of such tires scrapped every year nationwide.

In China, Michelin actively cooperates with the government, China Rubber Industry Association, automobile manufacturers, and upstream and downstream enterprises to jointly accelerate the green transformation of the mobility industry.

Diversification brings spirit

Consumers' needs have changed as they not only want good products, but a pleasant experience and sustainability.

This transformation brings new challenge and opportunity to all enterprises. Michelin is driving diverse business to better satisfy consumer's needs.

Beyond tires, Michelin is also well known for the Michelin Guide that recommend great culinary experiences to people around the world.

The first Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macao was published in 2008, starting its journey in China. It now covers four cities on the Chinese mainland — Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Chengdu.

Today, many chefs, foodies and gourmets share the same vision on sustainable gastronomy. With the creation of the Michelin Green Star in 2020, the Michelin Guide sheds light on the efforts of those at the forefront with their sustainable practices and plays the role in bringing their vision to everyone. The first Green Star in China was revealed in Beijing in November 2020.

Moreover, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, which has been fully owned by Michelin since 2019, recommends high-quality wine to consumers. In 2021, it made the first move by developing a sustainability recognition: the Robert Parker Green Emblem. It is given to selected wineries that have demonstrated extraordinary efforts in pursuit of environmentally friendly practices.

With, around and beyond tires, Michelin is committed to meeting not only people's mobility needs but their aspiration to enjoy their life in motion.

Winter has passed and the world welcomes the spring. While numerous people go for their dreams in the new year, Michelin has progressed in China for more than 30 years, continuing to innovate, improve and always being there for customers.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn