Volvo CE says it is disclosing the industry’s most extensive catalogue of Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) reports - making it easy for customers to take active steps to reduce their environmental impact.
The quarrying and construction equipment manufacturer adds that the reports confirm electric machines are a more sustainable choice compared to conventional diesel machines, when looking at greenhouse gas emissions over their entire life cycle.
Volvo CE says the PCF reports provide vital data for customers to understand their complete emissions and take action to reduce their own carbon footprint. The manufacturer is also sharing its PCF methodology on the company website, showing how data can be used to drive change.
The detailed methodology, developed in-house by Volvo CE experts, works by analysing the carbon footprint of every aspect of a product’s life – incorporating both traditional and electric machines across the company’s far-ranging portfolio. It covers all steps from the extraction of raw materials, component manufacturing and machine assembly, through to recycling and end-of-life. The principles of the methodology are based on two global standards: the global ISO standard for Life Cycle Assessment and the Green-house Gas Protocol.
The numbers are translated into a report for each product, providing a simple baseline from which to then take action to decarbonise. Volvo CE says this is essential information for customers, who make choices on which equipment to use in their projects, as well as for Volvo CE itself which has the ambition to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions in its entire value chain by 2040. To achieve those results, long-term, stepwise year-to-year actions are required by all stakeholders in the value chain. This is a tool to both measure progress and make decisions that drive actions in the right direction.
Rickard Alm, head of the life cycle assessment (LCA) programme at Volvo CE, said: “Customers are now rightly looking with absolute scrutiny at carbon performance – on a par with other considerations like cost and quality. With our Product Carbon Footprint reports, we are making it easier to have quick access to the information needed and enabling them to act on their decarbonisation ambitions.
“We are proud to be at the forefront with the most extensive PCF analysis available today in the construction industry to ensure the right choices are made now to deliver on our sustainable transformation.”
