Advancing the EV transition debate at Climate Week New York

Vanessa Butani, our Global Head of Sustainability, and Cassandra Julin, Sustainability Communications Strategist, both travelled to the Big Apple to take part in Climate Week New York from September 22-29. Across the week, we showcased our unwavering commitment to sustainability, particularly electrification – and our progress to date.

Climate Week NYC is the world’s largest annual climate event, attracting guests to over 900 activities and events both in-person and online. It gathers business leaders, policymakers, and civil society representatives worldwide to accelerate climate action and highlight ongoing changes. Hosted by the Climate Group, the event runs alongside the United Nations General Assembly. Here are some of the events and topics we engaged on:

• Official event of Climate Week New York on the EV transition: ‘Just bumps on the road’ was the topic of this panel led by the Climate Group where Vanessa together with the California Air Resource Board, Flipkart and the Drive Electric Campaign discussed the need for policies and infrastructure to succeed with electrification.
• Action Speaks: Hosted by IKEA, Vanessa talked about how we are taking action - exemplified by our EX30, our lowest footprint vehicle to date - to engage value chains on the road to net zero emissions and how we can scale climate solutions with the right financing. Action Speaks also hosted an exhibition showcasing model versions of our EX30 and a plate of fossil free steel produced for us by SSAB.
• World Economic Forum round tables: Together with global leaders, we joined several round tables across the week to contribute to the dialogue on value chain engagement, scope 3 emissions, sustainable procurement, and reduction of biodiversity impact – just to mention a few.
• We Don’t Have Time: Vanessa took part in an interview broadcast to millions of We Don’t Have Time viewers on what is needed to accelerate the global transition to electrification, as well as the work we are doing to reach our ambition of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
• Women in Leading on Climate and We Mean Business Coalition: Vanessa joined a new global group of female climate leaders and joined the 10 years anniversary of We Mean Business Coalition. She shared the importance of the transport sector in achieving global climate targets.

What’s next and trends from Climate Week

Our participation in Climate Week New York underscored our leadership in sustainability and work on driving positive change. The key takeaways from the event include:

• Electrification and Infrastructure: Policies and infrastructure support are vital for the successful transition to electric cars.
• Going beyond CO₂: Addressing biodiversity impacts and investing in nature restoration are integral to our sustainability strategy.
• Focus on Clean Steel: Reducing emissions from steel production is critical for the automotive industry's sustainability efforts, but we need action and supply.
• Green Financing: Innovative financing models, such as our internal carbon pricing and green bonds, are crucial for scaling climate action and likely biodiversity restoration.
• Collaboration is Key: Engaging with stakeholders across industries and sectors is essential for driving meaningful climate action. We need more collaboration across sectors, with governments and other stakeholders in order to succeed with the transition.