BMW lays out dynamic green vision to slash emissions

German premium carmaker BMW has revealed one of the most ambitious emissions reduction initiatives in China's auto industry, as part of its support for the country's decarbonization plan by 2060.

By 2030, the carmaker will slash carbon dioxide emissions per vehicle produced in its Chinese plants by 80 percent from 2019 levels, said Jochen Goller, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China.

He said the company will cut CO2 emissions through its whole supply chain by 20 percent and CO2 emissions during vehicles' usage by 40 percent from 2019 levels as well.

Goller announced the goals at BMW Group China's first sustainability forum held on Thursday in Beijing, as companies and governments across the world are stepping up efforts to pursue the circular economy and sustainable development.

Li Junfeng, a senior official at the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, said decarbonization is an issue that involves everyone and the only goal should be to leave a better world for future generations.

"BMW set an example for international companies, especially those from Europe," Li said. "In the past, they brought in advanced technology and now I hope they can bring the advanced philosophy of sustainable development."

BMW has a global goal of reducing its life cycle carbon emissions－per vehicle produced－in 2030 by at least one-third compared to 2019.

"Sustainability will be a new language that connects the world," said BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse in a video message at the forum.

Goller said BMW supports the country's transition toward a low-carbon economy by placing sustainability at the core of the carmaker's China strategy.

China has announced a plan to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Goller, who has worked in BMW's China operations for about a decade, said the matter of sustainability is not at all new to the Chinese people.

"Back in ancient China 'harmony between nature and humanity' was considered an important philosophical element," he said.

"And China's modern vision of 'building a harmonious society' and 'pursuing ecological civilization' is now translating into today's world. It's fueled by the aspiration to use cleaner growth to drive personal prosperity."

BMW has worked out its four-part approach toward sustainable development in China, starting with technology-driven green transformation.

The carmaker is accelerating its electromobility initiative. By 2025, at least a quarter of its sales in China will be electric vehicles.

It is also working on solid-state batteries, which will be cost-effective and recyclable, and hydrogen vehicles which are believed to be one of the cleanest technologies available.

The first vehicles sporting solid-state batteries will debut before 2025. The model with its latest hydrogen powertrain will be unveiled in 2022.

The carmaker is getting its suppliers involved to minimize emissions reductions through the supply chain, in another approach toward sustainability.

Among other things, its suppliers including CATL are using 100 percent green electricity in battery cell production.

Goller said electric MINI vehicles at its joint venture with Great Wall Motors will be produced with green electricity only.

This is already the case at its major joint venture BMW Brilliance plants in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

Last year, while the number of vehicles BMW Brilliance produced rose 12.3 percent from 2019, CO2 emissions generated in vehicle production fell 7.5 percent year-on-year.

BMW's roughly 580 dealerships are helping cut emissions as well, with an ongoing project promoting environmentally friendly tools, such as solar panels.

Its electric car dealers are involved in a process to collect used car batteries, which will be evaluated by licensed companies and potentially reused as power storage units or dismantled for raw materials.

"Our ambition is nothing less than to build the greenest electric vehicles in the entire industry－all the way from raw materials and supply chain to production and ultimately recycling," Goller said.

He added that the third part of the task will be to offer electric vehicles that rival gasoline ones in terms of performance and cost.

"Customers are simply unwilling to sacrifice vehicle performance or pay a higher premium just for the sake of sustainability," Goller said.

"Hence our task is to continue creating superior products and experiences that are at the same time more desirable and sustainable." He cited the example of the flagship iX SUV and the newly revealed i4 sedan.

The final piece of BMW's four-part approach to sustainable development in China is setting out measurable goals, such as its emissions reduction targets in the country and making the progress public.

The carmaker said it will make the sustainability summit an annual event to share its results in an open and transparent manner.

"It is absolutely essential that we act today, because actions definitely speak louder than words," Goller said.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn