NOKIA, Finland—Nokian Tyres P.L.C. has joined the Science Based Targets initiative, a partnership of four non-governmental organizations that encourages companies to set scientific targets for combating climate change.
The initiative is a partnership involving UN Global Compact, CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), WRI (World Resources Institute) and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) for promoting the best practices in setting scientific climate goals.
In addition, the initiative assesses and approves independently companies' and communities' targets.
In terms of environmental responsibility, Nokian stated it already considers the entire product life cycle and all operating functions. The tire maker also had set a target for reducing CO2 emissions from its factories' production by 2020, according to Teppo Huovila, who is in charge of the company's sustainability efforts.
By year-end 2017, he said, Nokian already had exceeded 36 percent. Joining the initiative is a natural continuation of the firm's long-term work for the environment.
"We are continuously developing tires with an even lower rolling resistance than before, which significantly decreases the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions generated during their use," Huovila said. "For example, the average 7 percent reduction of the rolling resistance of our tires sold in 2017 reduce CO2 emissions each year by as much as 54,000 passenger cars emissions annually."
The new climate goals will be linked to the company's value chain, as well as the environmental impacts of products.
There are 416 companies listed on the Science Based Targets website as participants in the initiative.
Other tire companies participating include: BRISA (Bridgestone Sabanci Tyre Manufacturing & Trading Inc.); Michelin; and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.