Our contribution makes the difference!

Mr Heidinger, why does MAN actually need a decarbonisation strate-gy?

Heidinger If our society continues to emit as many greenhouse gases as it does now, global warming will reach three degrees Celsius by 2100 compared to pre-industrial times. This would cause climate zones to shift, sea levels to rise and weather extremes to become more frequent. To prevent this scenario, 197 countries agreed on the common goal of keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius in the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. If this is achieved, the global climate will change less and the consequences will be less dramatic. The so-called two-degree target is to be achieved primarily through extensive measures to reduce CO2 at all social and economic levels. The European Union and the national states are setting targets for this, which also apply to MAN. We also see it as part of our responsibility to do everything in our power to help protect the climate. The NewMAN strategy has already created a valuable framework, which we are now concretising and further developing in the context of the decarbonisation strategy.

Why do commercial vehicle manufacturers bear a particularly large responsibility for reducing emissions that are harmful to the climate?

Heidinger This can best be demonstrated with a few figures: The VW Group is responsible for about 2.5 percent of global CO2 emissions. That is an enormous share. Within the European Union, the transport sector causes 23 percent of CO2 emissions. Almost a quarter!  And within the transport sector, long-distance lorries in particular produce a large proportion of the greenhouse gas CO2 - as much as 27 percent. Of course, this includes a large number of MAN vehicles. Our responsibility for climate protection is correspondingly great. Of course, we have been taking this into account for years, for example by developing ever more efficient and cleaner engines and by implementing CO2-saving measures in our products for years as part of our climate strategy. But in order to achieve our goals in the future, we need solutions with significantly lower emissions.

At the same time, as a commercial vehicle manufacturer we have the necessary levers to make transport more climate-friendly by providing our customers with so-called zero-emission vehicles that are economical and efficient. Climate protection and sustainability also open up new business areas for us. If we are successful here, we will be doing something good for our society and the environment and at the same time securing MAN's economic future.

In which areas can MAN influence the amount of greenhouse gases produced?

Heidinger We can reduce CO2 emissions across our entire value chain. This starts with energy consumption at our own sites, especially in production. The more we use renewable energies such as solar energy and wind power here, the smaller our CO2 footprint becomes. We are aiming for CO2-neutral production by 2030. Within our supply chains, we can also have a major positive impact on CO2 emissions in partnership with our suppliers. This applies, for example, to the production of batteries for electric vehicles with the smallest possible CO2 footprint. There is still a lot of potential for improvement here. The most important area, however, is the greenhouse gases generated by the use of our products. 96 percent of the emissions for which we at MAN are responsible today are generated by the use of MAN vehicles by our customers.

What are the climate protection measures that are now a particular focus for MAN?

Heidinger The technology bThe reduction of emissions from our vehicles is at the forefront of our decarbonisation strategy. The fully electric MAN Lion's City E and the MAN eTGE are already successfully in series production and have been very well received by our customers. In the foreseeable future, we will also enter series production with electric trucks. In addition, we support our customers in setting up CO2-neutral fleets through offers such as MAN eMobility Solutions and MAN Transport Solutions. Through the S rating in procurement, we ensure that our suppliers are also active in climate protection and sustainability. In addition, many measures are underway at our plants to improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. MAN has many opportunities to make a positive contribution to global decarbonisation. The mandate for the decarbonisation strategy is to select from the options those that will bring our emissions into line with the goals of the Paris climate agreement as quickly as possible and at the same time position us in the best possible strategic way.