How do you define ‘substances and materials of concern’?
“It’s not only about meeting chemical legislations. It’s also about substances and materials that have to be handled with great care in terms of health and safety, as well as negative effects to people and planet. As we’re always striving to ensure that ethical and responsible values are incorporated into our products and services, we have also broadened the definition to include the conflict minerals tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold and cobalt.”
How do you aim to scale down the need for these components?
“There are two different matters to consider here, reduction and responsible acquisition. All legally prohibited substances must of course be phased out in accordance with strictly set rules, and we are on top of that. Also, our aim is for 100% of the conflict minerals and cobalt raw materials in our supply chain to come from sustainable sources and sustainable suppliers.”
What actions are you taking to make this happen?
“To reduce our dependency of these materials, we are in constant conversation with our product development teams. And to make sure we acquire materials in a responsible way we have an ongoing dialogue with our supply chain partners. We have a code of conduct(PDF 2,826 KB) for our supplier and alongside that we have launched a Sustainable Minerals Program with the above-mentioned goals in mind.”
What is the biggest challenge that you face?
“The biggest challenge here is transparency, knowing who the companies in the supply chain are and how they conduct their business. We work very closely with our supply chain partners, peers in our industry and other industries focusing on sustainability and satisfactory employment conditions. By working together we can drive the change we want to see.”
Learn more about Volvo Group Sustainable strategy.
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