Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Buses have joined the Volvo Group's co-operation with WWF Climate Savers.
The additional co-operation expands the Volvo Group's commitment to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 30 million tons from construction equipment, buses and trucks manufactured through to 2014. Volvo's joint-venture company, SDLG, which manufactures construction equipment in China, will also become the first-ever Chinese company to be a member of Climate Savers.
Olof Persson, Volvo's CEO, said: "By expanding the partnership with the WWF to include our buses and construction equipment, the Volvo Group demonstrates that it is serious about continuously raising the targets in terms of reducing carbon-dioxide emissions from our products, by complying with our vision for sustainable and carbon-neutral future transportation."
WWF is an environmental organisation working to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment. WWF's Climate Savers programme involves multinational companies in the plan to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
These companies pledge to reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions following an agreement between the WWF and the company. The results are reviewed by independent technical experts and the agreed target must be more ambitious than the company would have set on its own, and must also signify that the company is leading its sector in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Håkan Wirtén, Secretary General of WWF Sweden, said: "Emissions in the transport sector have a major impact on the climate and must be met with vigorous initiatives. It is therefore very encouraging that the Volvo Group now wants to broaden their cooperation with WWF by expanding to new business areas, said.
In autumn 2010, the Volvo Group became the world's first automotive manufacturer to join Climate Savers, in an agreement stating the Group's truck brands committment to reduce the total amount of CO2 emitted during the lifetime of trucks manufactured and sold from 2009 to 2014 by 13 million tons (11.8m tonnes), when compared to trucks manufactured in 2008. This will be accomplished by launching the latest technology in fuel efficiency.
