Bosch will become carbon neutral worldwide by 2020

German automotive supplier and technology company Bosch plans to achieve carbon neutrality worldwide by next year. This makes it the first major industrial company to set such a target and puts it a decade or more ahead of most of its competitors.

Bosch is one of Germany’s largest companies with revenues of €78-billion and 410,000 employees across 400 manufacturing, engineering and administrative sites across the world.

The group said that from 2020 “it will no longer leave a carbon footprint”. The use of renewable energy sources will be increased and “unavoidable CO2” emissions will be compensated. It also announced an investment of €1-billion in energy efficiency over the next decade and a further €1-billion on carbon offsetting measures.

These measures include the financing of climate protection measures such as forest conservation in Africa and wind power in the Caribbean in order to offset around 40% of its energy use. The company will also enlarge its photovoltaic systems in India where it can achieve a “tenfold increase in installed energy capacity”.

In a statement, Bosch CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner said that extreme and volatile weather conditions, rising sea levels, flooding and drought have made it vital that companies act immediately to prevent the world overheating and risking global stability.

Dr. Denner said: “Climate change is not science fiction; it’s really happening. If we are to take the Paris Agreement seriously, then climate action needs to be seen not just as a long-term aspiration. It needs to happen here and now.”

Bosch also referenced data from the International Energy Agency which found that manufacturing accounted for 32% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Bosch emits 3.3 million tonnes of carbon annually, 35% less than in 2007.

The company’s calculations do not include emissions from its products such as diesel engines. On this matter, Bosch said: “We will break down and analyse in detail any other emissions associated with our activities.”

In 2017, Bosch paid $328-million as a settlement to US regulators to resolve allegations over the part it played in the Volkswagen emissions scandal, though it admitted no guilt.

Bilanzpressekonferenz Bosch 2019, am 09.05.2019, in Renningen, DEU, Deutschland, Germany, Copyright: Bosch

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