Acting for the climate
Aiming at net-zero emissions by 2050

By putting the climate at the center of its actions and reconciling increasingly stringent CO₂ emission standards with its customers' changing expectations, Michelin is pursuing its growth strategy while at the same time acting for a sustainable future for all.

 

The Group’s climate strategy for 2050 is based on 2 axes: climate transition and adaptation to the physical impacts of climate change.

As part of the energy transition, a plan to decarbonize the Group has been defined, mainly focusing on:

  • All production sites,
  • Logistics operations,
  • The supply chain with raw materials and components suppliers.

Validation of CO₂ emission reduction targets by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

As part of its strategic plan, the Group is actively committed to fighting against global warming; it aims to achieve net-zero emissions from all its direct and indirect activities by 2050, in accordance with the approach defined by the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard.

The Group's commitments to reduce CO₂ emissions are gradually being strengthened. The commitment announced for industrial sites in 2021 corresponding to the "well below 2 °C" trajectory has been validated by SBTi in January 2023, i.e., -27.5% in 2030 vs. 2019*.

Michelin continues to implement its current roadmaps while seeking opportunities to move towards a trajectory compatible with global warming limited to 1.5°C.

 

Michelin commits to reduce:

  • Absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 27.5% by 2030 from a 2019 base year*
  • Absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from fuel- and energy-related activities; upstream and downstream transportation and distribution; and end-of-life treatment of sold products by 15% by 2030 from a 2018 base year. Michelin also commits that 70% of its suppliers by emissions covering purchased goods and services will have science-based targets by 2024.

 

 

*The target boundary includes biogenic emissions and removals from bioenergy feedstocks.

Results at end 2022

• Scope 1 & 2: 2.30 million metric tons of CO₂ versus 2.92 in 2019, for a reduction of 21%
• Scope 3: 6.25 million metric tons of CO₂ versus 6.61 in 2019, for a reduction of 5.4%
• Scope 3 supplier engagement: 30% of emissions covering the purchase of goods and services came from suppliers that have set science-based targets

Michelin also contributes to low-carbon mobility of goods and people

Products

Designing products that are highly efficient over their entire lifecycle, from production to the use phase, to end of life recycling.

Services and solutions

Developing services and solutions that optimize the use and management of vehicle fleets, reducing energy consumption.

New mobility solutions

Deploying new mobility solutions through innovation within ecosystems, particularly developing the hydrogen fuel cell business.

Reduce the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions stemming from our industrial operations

The emissions-reduction program is underpinned by two principles:  

Reduced energy use = energy conservation

The Group is well aware that the only way to meet the challenge of net-zero emissions is to rein back global demand for energy. Accordingly, the Group has defined a prioritizing hierarchy of drivers that can be applied to all projects with an impact on plants' energy consumption.

schema-reuse

Improved energy use = energy transition

To reduce the Group's carbon footprint on a lasting basis, in 2008 the Group set up an initiative to develop renewable energies.  

 

An approach based on two axes


• Setting up renewable-energy installations:
Today, 21 Group sites have renewable energy installations.

• Buying electricity genrated from renewable sources:
Direct purchasing contracts or electricity procurement with guarantees of origin.
  • June 24 2020

Responsible energy management

  • Key figures

    32% of the electricity purchased was from renewable sources

  • Key figures

    14.6% of the energy used by the Group in 2020 was from renewable sources (electric and thermal)

The Group’s first zero-emissions site

  • September 16 2020

Michelin wins the Grand Jury Prize at the Sustainable Industry awards

Since late 2019, the Gravanches site in Clermont-Ferrand has been meeting its heating requirements by using a heat pump to recover the heat generated by the manufacturing process. Over the past three years, all of the other energy requirements have been met by procuring electricity with guarantee of origin certificates. As a result, the site has become the Group's first production plant to operate at net zero CO₂ emissions.

Reduce the CO₂ emissions from logistics operations

2030 target


Reduce CO₂ emissions by 15% vs. 2018*

*in absolute value

This approach uses carbon accounting procedures based on the latest accounting standards and recommendations issued by the Smart Freight Center and other international bodies. 

The strategy to reduce the carbon emissions from logistics operations revolves around three drivers: 

Transport less, a fundamental lever

Put sustainable development at the center of the logistics strategy by taking this aspect into consideration in each and every decision made.

• Analyze and identify the best possible location for stocks to reduce redundant transport
• Steer the choice of production sites towards local production and limit product transfers

Transport better, an operational lever

Optimize the current means of transport:

• Commit to partner carriers
• Use digital tools to optimize the filling of trucks and containers
• Promote and develop multimodal transport

Transport differently, an innovation lever

Set up innovative solutions:

• Act as a driving force in organizations to pool ideas and projects with other industry stakeholders
• Innovate to adopt more technologies and practices that reduce environmental impacts

Involve suppliers in reducing CO₂ emissions

The Group aims to have suppliers representing 70% of purchased goods and services emissions set their own science-based targets by 2024.

To achieve this goal, the Group has set up an initiative to identify the purchasing categories and suppliers that account for the highest greenhouse gas emissions.

 

  • Key figures

    84 raw materials suppliers were polled

  • Key figures

    92% of raw materials suppliers responded representing, 72% of the emissions generated by the Group's purchases of goods and services (Scope 3) and ~56% of spend on raw materials and natural rubber

  • Key figures

    33 suppliers obtained a CDP Supply Chain score greater than or equal to B-, indicating a good level of maturity in the matter

  • Key figures

    0.5% Improvement in Michelin products energy efficiency in 2021 vs. 2020

  • Key figures

    3.4 billion of liters of fuel saved over the tires’ lifespan in 2021

  • Key figures

    8.7 million of non-emitted tonnesof CO2, compared with 2010 sold tires

Involve its suppliers through the CDP   

 

In 2018, Michelin joined the CDP's Supply Chain Program and asked its main raw materials suppliers to join the initiative. The program aims to have suppliers quantify and report their greenhouse gas emissions and develop ways to reduce them.  

 The campaign was repeated in 2020 and will now be run annually. 

Designing products with very high energy efficiency

Tires represent 20-30% of vehicle fuel consumption, mainly because of their rolling resistance. 

Michelin is committed to designing tires that deliver a very high level of performance throughout their lifetime and can cover long distances before reaching their legal wear limit, all while helping to increase vehicles energy efficiency leading to lower CO₂ emissions from fuel-powered vehicles and greater autonomy between recharges for electric vehicles.

In 2015

the Group has committed to reducing tire-related energy consumption by 20% by 2030 vs. 2010.

Since tire energy efficiency correlates with rolling resistance, the annual result is translated into liters of fuel savings and CO₂ emissions avoided over the lifetime of the tires placed on the market. In 2020, Michelin generated 46% of its revenue from sales of tires with low rolling resistance*, thereby contributing to the reduction in vehicle CO₂ emissions.

*on-road tires from all Group brands that have been rated under by energy efficiency classes A, B or C, according to the European tire labelling legislation.

 

  • November 5 2020

When the Vision Becomes Reality

The development of services and solutions that optimize the use and management of vehicle fleets

Another way to reduce CO₂ emissions involves solutions to manage and maintain tires in order to optimize their energy efficiency and other performances. Providing a service that rationalizes certain fleet-management processes helps make the vehicles in the fleet cheaper, safer, and with a lower impact on the environment. 

Development of the hydrogen sector

hydrogen logo on gas stations fuel dispenser. h2 combustion Truc

Michelin sees the hydrogen fuel cell as a key technology for successfully electrifying transport; it helps reduce CO₂ emissions and improve air quality by using hydrogen as a renewable energy source.

Setting up the joint venture Symbio with the French automobile equipment manufacturer Faurecia in November 2019 was a decisive step in Michelin's investment in hydrogen technologies. The aim is to create the world leader in hydrogen mobility systems.  

 

Michelin supports the hydrogen sector at every level and is working to federate all of the ecosystem's players.

  • September 7 2020

Michelin & Hydrogen : 15 year-commitment

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