Auto giant BMW shifts green transformation efforts up a gear

The 2022 World Environment Day National Event with the theme of "work together to build a clean and beautiful world" took place in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning province, on Sunday. BMW took an active part in the event as it has fulfilled its commitment to build a clean and beautiful world through concrete actions.

On June 5, World Environment Day, BMW Brilliance released its ninth sustainability report since 2014, conveying to the whole society the company's actions and commitment in dealing with the global challenges related to sustainable development.

As the first German automotive manufacturer to join the Business Ambition for 1.5 C campaign launched by the Science-Based Targets initiative, the BMW Group views the environment as an important stakeholder.

Jochen Goller, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, said: "We are placing sustainability and circular economy at the core of our China strategy. For many years, BMW has established a transparent reporting system to measure science-based sustainability goals. In 2021, BMW Group entities and joint ventures in China have made solid contributions toward combating climate change and promoting circular economy. Driven by 'at home in China', BMW will step up efforts to drive green transformation and work together with the society to build a clean and beautiful homeland."

His words were echoed by Franz Decker, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance, who said that in 2021, the joint venture became the largest producer of premium cars in China for the first time. In the meantime, the automaker has achieved excellent results in sustainable development with its average carbon emissions from single vehicle production reduced by 7.8 percent from the previous year.

"Our implementation of the sustainability strategy proves that a win-win situation can be achieved for both enterprise operational performance and sustainable development," Decker said.

In 2021, BMW Brilliance ranked first nationwide in purchasing renewable electricity.

To establish a green supply chain, the company implemented an action plan on supply chain carbon emission reduction in the same year. The company aims to help suppliers to achieve sustainable development from eight working packages, including raw materials and parts, renewable electricity, environment, as well as health and safety.

In addition, BMW Brilliance adheres to the approach of "secondary first" and makes every effort to accelerate the recycling of resources. The automaker has built a closed-loop production system for recycled steel and achieved recycling and reuse of 71,000 metric tons of scrap steel in 2021.

The company is also extending the life cycle of its products by continuously expanding the recycling and reproduction of auto parts. In 2021, it recycled more than 867 tons of used parts.

Last month, the automaker announced that it has realized the closed-loop recycling system of electric vehicle power batteries.

In 2021, BMW Brilliance topped China's Automotive Green Development Index for three consecutive years and was rated as "best practice of enterprises in achieving sustainable development goals" by the United Nations Global Compact Network China for three years in a row. Its Shenyang production base won the honor of "national green plant" for the fifth consecutive year.

BMW provided 20 all-new BMW i3 vehicles as reception cars for the 2022 World Environment Day National Event held in Shenyang, as part of its efforts to contribute to the event's green shuttle service.

The all-new BMW i3 has achieved carbon reduction throughout its entire life cycle, including design and development, supply chain, production, usage and recycling.

In the production process of the allnew BMW i3, 100 percent renewable electricity is used, and a large amount of advanced equipment is used to help reduce energy consumption, delivering BMW's concept of "a green car produced in a green plant".

The BMW Group regards accelerating electrification as a main driver of its sustainability strategy. This year, the group is expected to further accelerate its electric offensive to have 15 battery electric vehicles, covering about 90 percent of all segments in its global lineup. BMW now has five BEVs in the Chinese market.

In addition, BMW spares no efforts in improving electric mobility services, such as promoting green charging. By the end of 2021, BMW had integrated 365,713 public charging pillars, spanning 318 cities across the country.

BMW recently announced the launch of a new environmental protection project, the BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative.

The initiative begins with the Liaoning Liaohekou National Nature Reserve, aiming to protect the nature reserve from the perspectives of improving its management, raising public awareness of biodiversity conservation and enhancing popularization and education.

The Liaohekou National Nature Reserve, located at the mouth of Liaohe River and the tip of Liaodong Bay, is an important stopping point for red-crowned cranes on their migration, and the world's largest breeding ground for black-billed gulls.

With the strategy of "at home in China", BMW Group will continue to strive for the mutual growth of its business and the local society, as it believes that the way it responds to climate change and treats limited resources will determinate the future of society and the future of itself, according to the automaker.