Sustainability in Net Zero Transport

Background and Challenges

Zemo Partnership’s life cycle analysis activities to date have focused on climate change and understanding the greenhouse gas emission (GHG) impacts across vehicle production, operation and end-of-vehicle-life.

As we strive for net zero, it’s vital that the deployment of zero emission vehicle technologies, low carbon fuels and energy supply chains are sustainable. We must ensure that unintended negative environmental and societal impacts do not materialise in the process of tackling climate change. 

Whilst embedded GHG emissions and sustainability criteria currently exist in government policies related to bioenergy and renewable fuels, an equivalent approach has yet to be adopted for automotive supply chains.

Zemo Partnership will undertake a study to explore the life cycle environmental and social impacts associated with zero emission vehicles. This will take into consideration automotive component supply chains, fuel and energy production, in conjunction with vehicle disposal. Environmental and ethical parameters to be considered include natural resource use, energy use, land use, pollution, waste, biodiversity, human rights and labour conditions.

Objectives

  • To conduct desk-based research examining existing LCA studies and sustainability assessments.
  • To examine where key environmental and social risks exist.
  • To provide a high-level overview of guidelines, standards and voluntary initiatives that are already in place to encourage the development of sustainable supply chains in the automotive industry.
  • To engage with Zemo Partnership’s automotive industry members and experts in commodity supply chains.

Actions and Outputs

  • A report to raise awareness of sustainability and wider considerations beyond LCA.
  • A webinar to disseminate findings.

Timeline

September 2021 – February 2022

Gloria Esposito

Zemo Partnership Lead:
Gloria Esposito

Head of Sustainability

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