Geely’s Polestar EV car brand has set a “moonshot” goal to create the first truly climate neutral car by 2030.
It said environmental experts had warned offsetting was not sustainable in the long run as questions around the long-term carbon-storage capacity of forests and soils remain, as a forest might be logged, devastated by fire or altered by climate change.
“Offsetting is a cop-out,” said CEO Thomas Ingenlath in a statement.
“By pushing ourselves to create a completely climate-neutral car, we are forced to reach beyond what is possible today. We will have to question everything, innovate and look to exponential technologies as we design towards zero.”
Sustainability chief Fredrika Klaren said: “We’re electric, so we don’t have to worry about combustion engines producing toxic emissions – but that doesn’t mean our job is done. We will now work to eradicate all emissions stemming from production.”
Climate action is already being incorporated throughout the business and climate targets are integrated in the employee bonus system.
Sustainability declarations, common in industries like food and fashion, will be applied to all future models. Initially disclosing carbon footprint and traced risk materials, labeling will appear on the company website and in showrooms, setting a claimed "unique transparency precedent for the industry".
Additional details and information will be added later.
Ingenlath added: "Consumers are a huge driving force in the shift to a sustainable economy. They need to be given the right tools to make informed and ethical decisions. This makes things very clear. Today, a Polestar 2 leaves the factory gates with a carbon footprint. In 2030 we want to present a car that does not."
