South Korean carmaker Kia Corporation has set out its vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. On November 11, the global company announced its corporate vision at its ‘Kia Sustainability Movement’ virtual conference.
During the conference, the carmaker announced its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, based on three key pillars – ‘Sustainable Mobility, ‘Sustainable Planet’ and ‘Sustainable Energy’. These three pillars will guide Kia in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions in all operational facets, from supply, logistics, vehicle production, and vehicle use to waste disposal.
By 2045, Kia plans to reduce 97% of the company’s 2019 level of carbon emissions. The company will attain carbon neutrality by implementing additional measures to fully offset its remaining carbon emissions.
Hosung Song, President and CEO, Kia, said, “For us, it is not only about setting goals and reaching targets. It is about setting a vision that will inspire others to join the movement to benefit humanity and protect the environment. In line with our vision of becoming a sustainable mobility solutions provider, we commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.”
Aims To Produce Only Electric Vehicles By 2040 In Global Markets
The single largest portion of carbon emissions generated by any mass vehicle manufacturer occurs when the vehicle is in daily use and on the road, helping to meet customers' mobility needs.
For this important reason, the company prioritises the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to a full eco-friendly vehicle line-up. As a result, to achieve zero carbon emissions during the vehicle usage stage, it will further accelerate its mid-to-long-term Plan S strategy.
The OEM aims to fully electrify its vehicle line-up in Europe by 2035. From 2040, its line-up in key markets around the globe will also exclusively consist of electrified models, realising zero emissions during daily vehicle use.
The carmaker is also working with its suppliers to reduce carbon emissions from the parts supply stage. It aims to create a carbon emissions monitoring system for its partner companies by 2022 and will provide solutions to its suppliers based on the resulting data.
A key element to this plan is the use of ‘green steel’, as the steel industry has traditionally been one of the biggest global carbon emitters. Green steel is steel produced in an eco-friendly process where the use of fossil fuel is minimised.
Targets Zero Emissions At All Kia Business Sites
The South Korean carmaker aims to achieve zero emissions across all aspects of its business – including all production sites – by 2045 after Hyundai Motor Group and its key subsidiaries announced their plan to join the RE100 initiative in July.
Climate Group’s RE100 is an initiative to transition to 100% renewable energy in electricity generation. For the company's overseas sites, all electricity will be sourced from renewable energy by 2030; by 2040, the transition will be complete for all domestic business sites.
In line with its RE100 commitment, its Slovakia production facility has already turned to 100% green energy in electricity generation. To help accomplish this goal, it will actively transition to solar energy electricity generation for business sites in Korea, the US, China, and India.
By improving the efficiency of production facilities, the company aims to cut carbon emissions by 1% each year. It will implement innovations such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology to realise this reduction. The company will also transition all company fleet vehicles to electrified vehicles by 2030.
Protecting Marine Ecosystems
Kia has also announced that it will initiate a ‘Blue Carbon’ project to proactively contribute to preserving the environment instead of just reducing emissions to achieve its carbon neutrality target. Blue carbon is carbon absorbed and stored in seaweed and mudflats, effectively diminishing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
The project will focus on marine ecosystems, which are one of the most efficient absorbers of carbon. To boost the amount of blue carbon, the vehicle manufacturer will restore and preserve Korea’s coastal wetlands in collaboration with external partners. As a part of the endeavour, the company plans to discuss specific project opportunities with Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The country has one of the most extensive tidal mudflat environments globally, making it advantageous for an increase in the level of blue carbon.
To build a sustainable future, the company will also work with ‘The Ocean Cleanup’, the non-profit organisation developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. To effectively rid the oceans of plastic, plastic waste currently in the sea needs to be cleaned, and new plastic should be stopped from entering the oceans. ‘The Ocean Cleanup’ to this aim developed ‘Interceptor’ to be deployed in rivers worldwide to prevent plastic trash from entering the oceans.
The company will work with ‘The Ocean Cleanup’ to create a resource circulation system. It will provide material support to the construction of the Interceptors, utilise plastic waste gathered from the river cleanup process, and use the materials in vehicle production. As a result, Kia is planning to increase the company’s percentage of plastic re-use to 20% by 2030.
The global company also plans to implement plastic recycling processes during the vehicle disposal stage. Once established, the process will increase the re-use percentage of used batteries and plastic. In addition, it is planning to conduct pilot projects on second-life battery energy storage systems (SLBESS) with external partners from 2022.