Carbon neutrality

We strive for 100% carbon neutrality along our entire value chain.

Significantly limiting the average global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius is essential for protecting our climate. For this, companies need to operate carbon-neutrally. Continental is aiming for 100% carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest – with ambitious intermediate targets.

Continental is committed to the Paris Agreement of 2015. According to this, global warming is to be significantly lower than 2 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial age or, ideally, be limited to 1.5 degrees. To achieve this, the global economy is to become carbon neutral.

Continental’s CO₂ balance amounts to more than 125 million metric tons per year along the entire value chain. This equates to around 0.25 percent of global emissions. Our own CO₂ emissions, which are generated by our production and the purchase of electricity, are around 3.2 million metric tons.

Continental has undertaken to achieve carbon neutrality in three steps along the entire value chain. Since the end of 2020, all electricity purchased for our production sites has been switched to green electricity and is already carbon neutral. By 2040, production is to be carbon neutral and, for the third step, the entire value chain will be carbon neutral at the latest by 2050 – from raw material procurement to our suppliers and the use of the product by the consumer until the product is recycled at the end of its life cycle.

At the end of 2020, the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) scientifically reviewed Continental’s climate protection targets and confirmed that Continental is demonstrably helping to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Achieving the targets requires significant investments and creative solutions. However, it is an opportunity for companies and can open up new markets. Carbon neutrality is important from an environmental and customer perspective, and it is also on the agenda of investors who view sustainability as an important factor in their investments.

Demand for carbon-neutral technologies is increasing. By us and our customers taking on the leadership when it comes to making our industries carbon neutral, it will also lead to changes in the entire value chain.

For this reason, we at Continental have set the goal of achieving 100% carbon neutrality along our entire value chain by 2050 at the latest.