Continental group sector Automotive is making a steady progress when it comes to Sustainability. Adrien Eymard, Head of Automotive Sustainability highlights the steps that the organization is taking to create value for the society and the environment while also providing value to stakeholders and customers.
Fixing tomorrow, today!
Sustainability is one of the core focus areas at the Continental group sector Automotive. With its core sustainability ambitions in place, the organization is making steady progress in the right direction to realize having all manufacturing plants carbon neutral by 2030 and achieve complete carbon neutrality latest by 2050. We spoke to Adrien Eymard, Head of Sustainability at Continental group sector Automotive to understand his views on the ambitious sustainability plans that the organization has and the growth made so far
- You have recently taken over as the Head of Sustainability at Continental group sector Automotive. Tell us something about the journey so far, and about your personal vision on sustainable development in the Automotive industry.
I took over this role a few months back and I can say that I am excited to work with a team of colleagues who are extremely motivated to work towards achieving sustainability in our endeavors.
Personally, sustainability for me goes a lot beyond having a sustainable product line. For me, sustainability includes environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Therefore, the Automotive companies also need to develop sustainability strategies that are encompassing all these dimensions for an all-inclusive, more qualitative growth.
- Please tell us about your views on the sustainability strategy at the Continental group sector Automotive
Being a responsible organization, sustainability is a pillar of growth at the Continental group sector Automotive. I truly believe that we are working to create a holistic sustainability strategy to align with the ambitions that we have. We are working to create a strategy which will deliver on the key requirements and ensure that we remain at the forefront of sustainable development and manufacturing which is crucial for our industry now. I am glad to say that our products, solutions and internal production requirements and certifications are a testimony that we are making significant progress in becoming a successful, efficient and carbon neutral organization which truly feels responsible for the well-being of our planet and people.
- You recently spoke about the operational focus for managing sustainability at Automotive: Team, customers, and environment. Can you elaborate the same?
No business can succeed in silos, and it must bring together all the stakeholders to ensure that success is realized in the true sense of the word. At Automotive, we have always believed that a company can only be successful if we are able to provide value to our stakeholders and customers. Simultaneously, it is crucial that we also create value for the society as well as the environment. Therefore, we are taking steps to include these in our sustainability endeavors so that long-term growth can be achieved.
- Is sustainability an important concern for the Continental group sector Automotive?
In the Automotive industry, sustainability is an imperative for growth. It is a pressing issue that must be addressed with immediate effect. Therefore, businesses are undergoing transformation to match up to the requirements of the present times. At Continental Automotive, we acknowledge this fact and understand that the new technologies we introduce in our business need to be sustainable to increase productivity and profitability in the long run.
- Does this mean that technology is at the foundation of sustainable development?
As professionals in the Automotive industry, we know that the customers, stakeholders, and the market is going to want sustainable Automobile solutions in times to come, if not now. Therefore, if we want to continue with our strong market position in the industry, we will have to evolve and adapt to technologies which are sustainable and can provide long-term value to our customers, in particular, and society, in general.
- What milestones has Continental Automotive set towards sustainable development?
We fully understand that tangible goals are crucial to realize the bold ambitions which we have. These ambitions include complete sustainability together with our value chain partners - in the four focus areas latest by 2050. These focus areas include 100% carbon neutrality along our entire value chain, 100% emission-free mobility, 100% circular economy leading to closed resource and product cycles and 100% responsible value chain. We are already striving to use renewable energy in our plants and major locations. We are also driving our sustainability efforts with our internal Green Plant Label (GPL) program which supports in guiding and auditing the sustainability practices of all production plants. A major milestone that we intend to achieve is to ensure that all Automotive plants are certified with the Gold certification of GPL latest by 2030.