Renault and the FCA Group join the celebrated “A List” that certifies companies' environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Also at the top: BMW, Mercedes, Opel, Peugeot-Citroën, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota.
The carbon footprint, in Italian carbon footprint, is an indicator that measures the consequences of human activities on the environment and in particular on the global climate. It quantitatively expresses the effects produced by greenhouse gases generated by human activities in which fossil fuels are used, releasing carbon dioxide. It is, in short, an environmental impact index, and its unit of measurement is the kg of CO2. An index that allows companies, local authorities and nations to discover the effects of their activities on nature, so as to guide strategic choices, while at the same time making it possible to identify virtuous actors. The international non-profit organisation CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), for example, has for years been compiling the so-called "A List" reserved for companies leading the fight against climate change. A list on which a select number of car manufacturers appear.
CDP compiles the A List on behalf of 827 institutional investors managing assets worth $100 trillion who wish to know the carbon footprint of the companies they work with. An index of excellence in which, this year, Renault and the FCA Group (Fiat-Chrysler) have been included. The former thanks to its commitment to electric mobility, the latter by virtue of developing a complete range of bi-fuel models running on LPG and methane. The French manufacturer, specifically, reduced the carbon footprint of all its activities by 17 per cent from 2010 to 2016 and, as stated by Jean-Philippe Hermine, Director of Environmental Strategy at the Renault Group, "this is only the beginning. The development and large-scale commercialisation of battery vehicles accessible to everyone is the brand's horizon. By constantly improving the range of zero-emission models, Renault is pursuing the goal of a further and lasting reduction of the carbon footprint."
While the French manufacturer can count on electric models such as the urban car Twizy, the compact Zoe — whose range in the ZE 40 version reaches 400 km — the Kangoo Z.E. people-carrier and the Fluence saloon, the latter not sold in Italy, FCA has distinguished itself through the development of a full range of gas-powered vehicles. In 2015, the Italian-American Group's market share in Europe reached 50 per cent among methane-powered cars, while CO2 emissions linked to production activities at its plants were reduced by 23.4 per cent between 2010 and 2016, and the optimisation of operational sites made it possible to save 2.3 billion cubic metres of water. The A List, moreover, does not consider only the direct ecological footprint — for example, the consumption of fossil fuels for heating, transport or the processing of raw materials — but also the indirect one, that is to say, linked to greenhouse gas production across the entire life cycle of all manufactured goods used.
In addition to Renault and FCA, the A List includes other car manufacturers such as BMW, bolstered by an ever-broader range of plug-in hybrid models and the electric i3, Daimler, which controls the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands, General Motors, which recently unveiled the battery-powered Ampera-e MPV with a 500 km range, the PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroën), Hyundai, the first manufacturer to offer a single model – the Ioniq saloon – in electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid configurations, as well as Nissan, long at the forefront of promoting sustainable mobility, and Toyota, the leader in hybrid technology. The A List, to which thousands of brands aspire every year, has to date accepted no more than 9 per cent of those assessed. Among Italian organisations, standouts include Eni Energia, Intesa Sanpaolo in the financial sector, Salini Impregilo in construction, and Enel, Iren and Snam in the utilities sector. A "club" that is as virtuous as it is exclusive.