choo kok keong’s Post

We are proud to share that Volvo Cars has been recognized by TIME as one of the World's Most Sustainable Companies in 2024. This is a testament to our commitment to giving people freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way.    Our ambition is to reach net zero emissions by 2040. For example, our global manufacturing operations are powered by 74% climate-neutral energy, including 98% climate-neutral electricity. With circular economy strategies we work towards closing the loop on materials – in the EX30 nearly 25% of all aluminum and approximately 17% of all steel and plastic come from recycled sources. We’re also leading the charge towards zero tailpipe emission mobility with 41% of our global sales in Q1 2024 being fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.    At Volvo Cars, we aim to be pioneers in protecting people and the planet by working towards net zero, embracing the circular economy and working to improve people’s lives. We congratulate other fellow companies making the TIME and Statista list on doing best for the Earth 🌍   Read more here: World's Most Sustainable Companies 2024 | TIME #VolvoCars #ClimateAction #FutureIsNow

Happy #Sustainability Friday -- here are a few stories that caught my eye this week in the world of sustainability: • It's football season, which of course means it's time for the sports fan's most treasured — yet mostly useless — conversation vehicle: power rankings! In this case, we're not talking about the Chicago Bears or New Orleans Saints, but countries as they rank according to sustainability efforts. Sustainability Magazine published a list of the top 10 most sustainable countries. These countries "prioritise renewable energy, efficient resource management and eco-friendly policies to reduce their carbon footprint and preserve natural ecosystems." Read on to see which country checked in at No. 1 (unlike sports talk radio, you don't need to call in to explain why your power ranking list is actually the right one): https://lnkd.in/gpy59r3W • In ongoing news about educational district fleet electrification, a school district in Ohio is going forward with the purchase of four Lion Electric EV school buses. While more than 21 million children ride the bus to school in the U.S., about 200,000 are served by electric school buses, according to a World Resources Institute report in July (https://lnkd.in/gDqFSAsB). Read more about the school district's EV additions: https://lnkd.in/gKEiaQuY • In research news, two North Carolina State University professors are working with Amazon to develop more sustainable packaging materials. According to a release from the university, $150,000 from Amazon will fund the research by two professors from the university's College of Natural Resources. Their research will "aim to use fibers from recycled textile waste to produce a paper-based alternative for plastic padded shipping envelopes." When you think about the sheer volume of Amazon packages that go out every single day, more sustainable packaging is vital toward the goal of limiting waste and mitigating the growth of already gargantuan landfills. Of course, that doesn't just go for Amazon: reducing packaging waste, particularly plastic-based packaging, is a critical task and one that is fairly understandable for the everyday consumer. According to the UN Environment Programme, approximately 36% of all plastic produced goes toward packaging. Furthemore, half of all plastic produced is for single-use purposes. "Out of sight, out of mind" cannot be the way going forward when it comes to single-use plastics. 🌲

Global green tire industry forecast with a CAGR of 8.7 percent through 2031 March 2024 According to the recent report published by Allied Market Research, the global green tire industry is anticipated to display a CAGR of 8.7% from 2022 to 2031. Green tires are designed to reduce rolling resistance for an environment-friendly future sustained long-term while enhancing energy efficiency and safety. The addition of silica to tire materials improves performance, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes sustainable mobility. This helps to reduce the overall weight of vehicle types, leading to lower fuel consumption. Developing green tires improves gasoline consumption by reducing rolling resistance. To minimize rolling resistance, it necessitates comprehensive control of the composite relationship between tread pattern, tire structure, and rubber compound. Rolling resistance contributes to around 10 to 15% of fuel consumption in passenger cars and is expected to increase to 30% in heavy vehicles. Exploring eco-friendly alternatives such as rubber derived from plants and enhancing the availability of natural rubber are crucial areas of focus. Cooper Tire, received a $6.9 million grant for the study of guayule rubber for tire production. The goal is to minimize waste, and energy consumption, and ensure eco-friendly disposal practices. Michelin has recently introduced new tires for cars and buses with a higher proportion of sustainable materials, up to 58% of which are environment friendly. The performance of these tires is comparable to that of traditional ones. By 2050, the company intends to use only sustainable materials in all its tires, with a target of 40% by 2030. In its products, Michelin uses environmentally friendly materials such as natural rubber, recycled carbon black, and bio-based oils. The company aims to minimize its environmental impact while maintaining a high level of performance across all aspects of its activities, from product design to recycling efforts. Key developments in the green tire industry: In March 2020, Goodyear introduced a pioneering concept of self-regenerating tires During the SIMA 2022 exhibition in Paris, GRI presented its latest agricultural tire called Green XLR EARTH 65+ made with 37.5% sustainable materials. It has a unique tread design that improves the comfort of drivers both on and off the road while improving the steering of tractors at higher speeds. Leading companies such as Michelin and Goodyear have focused on research and development to achieve a circular economy while reducing rolling resistance, emissions, and environmental impacts, ensuring a greener future for all. The top players are champions of circular economy initiatives and have developed high-performance tires with a reduced environmental footprint for a green future. #rubber #naturalrubber #polymers #green #tire #compound #silica Joss Elastomers & Chemicals B.V.

How will EVs benefit from a circular economy? 🤔 Electric vehicles (EVs) are driving the change for an eco-friendly future. And the concept of circular economy can take it to another level, aiming to make EVs both commercially viable and genuinely green. Here’s what it means: There is scope for improvement in the production and disposal phase of EVs.  For instance, producing just one tonne of lithium for EV batteries releases 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and uses 5,00,000 litres of water. Their disposal also results in severe soil and water pollution. In order to avoid creating resource issues while trying to achieve the necessary climate goals, the full life cycle of EVs needs to be considered. The concept of circular economy focuses on designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. For EV manufacturers, this means rethinking how vehicles are designed, produced and retired. Here’s how circular economy functions in all the 3 phases: 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲: In the design phase, circular economy can be pushed by using materials that can be easily recycled or repurposed. These EV components have a life beyond their initial use. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲: This includes using renewable energy sources in factories and implementing zero-waste manufacturing processes. For example, by recycling production scrap and offcuts, manufacturers may significantly reduce the raw materials needed for new vehicles. Therefore, green energy companies and businesses that provide solutions for recycling industrial waste are important. 𝗘𝗻𝗱-𝗼𝗳-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲: This includes setting up take-back schemes where old vehicles are collected and dismantled, ensuring that valuable materials are recovered and reused. Battery recycling plants have a huge role to play in the sustainable development of EVs. The useful lifetime of EVs can be extended through repair and reuse. Refurbishing and remanufacturing can have lower environmental impact compared with manufacturing, and recycling materials can decrease the demand for mining of new primary materials. There are many EV manufacturing companies that are realising this. Therefore, they are committed to using closed-loop recycling processes for battery production. What are your views on this?

Automobile manufacturers can cut Scope 3 emissions by using recycled materials from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). With India's new vehicle scrapping policy, these materials lower costs and emissions. MMCM, as an Automotive Circularity Orchestrator, helps with ELV procurement, carbon credit generation, and providing recycled materials to manufacturers. This approach also addresses waste reduction and high-pollution vehicle scrapping, fulfilling Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Learn more at mmcm.in Every Bit Matters!

Michelin's sustainable tire goals: fewer tires for EVs, more innovation: https://lnkd.in/dYMxuUmj #tirerecycling #tyrerecycling #tyrerecovery #recoveredcarbonblack #carbonblack #recyclingbusiness #recycling #circulareconomy #sustainability #greenenergy #rubberrecycling

Scope 3 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur along a company's value chain, encompassing activities outside of its direct control, such as supply chain operations, product usage, and disposal. For an automobile Manufacturer, Scope 3 emissions are carbon emissions that occur during- Upstream Activities:  - Mining of Raw Materials  - Refining of Raw Materials  - Transportation of Refined Materials to the Facility  - Manufacturing Process Downstream Activities:  - Transportation of Finished Automobiles  - Emissions during Vehicle Lifecycle (Tailpipe Emissions)  - Energy Consumption during Vehicle Use  - Disposal or Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles The GHG Protocol defines 15 different categories of Scope 3 emissions. Automobile companies have a special chance to take significant steps to decarbonize their activities in three of those categories:  - Category 1: Purchased goods and services  - Category 5: Waste generated in operations  - Category 12: End-of-life treatment of sold products How can Scope 3 emissions be reduced? Your automobile manufacturing firm can instantly reduce Category 1 emissions within Scope 3 by opting to procure recovered materials obtained from the scrapping of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). With India facing the challenge of over 10 million or 1 crore ELVs on its roads, the government's vehicle scrapping policy now offers enticing incentives to ELV owners to encourage scrapping of their old vehicles. The recovered materials from these ELVs can serve as substitutes for virgin materials used in manufacturing new automobiles. This initiative not only lowers procurement costs due to the almost-ready-to-use recycled materials but also contributes to emissions reduction. What is MMCM doing in this direction? As India’s pioneering Automotive Circularity Orchestrator (ACO), MMCM is bringing together the whole automotive value chain through its state-of-the-art B2B and B2C suite of offerings. We assist Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) in procurement of End-of-life vehicles (ELV). We help them mint carbon credits by the process of scrapping those ELVs and then we help automobile manufacturers get an alternative supply of recycled materials to reduce their Category-1 of Scope-3 emissions. To address Category 5 emissions, MMCM can implement waste reduction strategies and engage suppliers in circular economy initiatives to minimize waste generated in its operations. By scrapping high pollution emitting ELVs, we help reduce Category 12 of Scope-3 emissions as well. During this whole process, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is also fulfilled. It's like achieving several goals with one action, effectively tackling various issues at once. To know more, get in touch with us at mmcm.in Every Bit Matters! #CarbonNeutrality #ResourceCircularity #Sustainability #CarbonCredits #CarbonFootprint #SustainableFuture #MMCM #CleanMobility #CircularEconomy #AutomotiveCircularity #MRAI

"In late November 2023, as we dove into planning the Circularity in Action workshop, Cristian Nacu, the International Finance Corporation’s Senior Country Officer for Romania, set the tone for an ambitious endeavor: “Let’s make sure attendees feel enriched.” This vision gave us purpose: to facilitate a transformative dialogue between public and private sectors, on the hot topic of circular economy. Despite being over-ambitious with a heavy agenda, we went even further: let’s help uncover realities, the circularity potential, the variety of perspectives for implementing circular economy practices in Romania." Andreea Nicolae, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at PIVOT-C. https://lnkd.in/dBHyfKg9

Michelin's sustainable tire goals: fewer tires for EVs, more innovation: https://lnkd.in/dbMTDEHB #tirerecycling #tyrerecycling #tyrerecovery #recoveredcarbonblack #carbonblack #recyclingbusiness #recycling #circulareconomy #sustainability #greenenergy #rubberrecycling

🌀🚢 Revitalizing Ports: Embracing the Circular Economy for Sustainable Maritime Operations 🌱 This new chapter "Ports and the Circular Economy" provides a comprehensive exploration of how ports can transition from traditional linear supply chain models to more sustainable, circular practices. The circular economy (CE) aims to minimize resource inputs and waste generation by emphasizing maintenance, reuse, remanufacture, and recycling. For ports, this shift means reimagining every aspect from land management and energy use to material sourcing and waste handling. While the transition poses challenges, including the need for innovative design, complex feedback loops, and new regulatory frameworks, it offers significant opportunities for ports to reduce their environmental footprint, optimize operations, and foster sustainable growth. The chapter underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders, the integration of technological advancements, and the adoption of strategic planning to navigate the transition effectively. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dy4w_SNi #CircularEconomy #SustainablePorts #MaritimeSustainability #ResourceEfficiency #WasteReduction #EcoFriendlyShipping #GreenPorts #RecyclingInMaritime #CircularMaritime #EnvironmentalInnovation Dr. Theo Notteboom, Dr. Athanasios Pallis, and Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue