Climate neutral electricity for our APAC campus
Three buildings supporting 1,400 employees and busy workdays, all powered by climate neutral electricity.
Our APAC campus northwest of Shanghai downtown is now powered by 100 per cent climate neutral electricity.
We’re talking about our APAC campus in Shanghai (APHQ). This clover-shaped building complex, located northwest of Shanghai downtown, follows the footsteps of our Torslanda HQ that became climate neutral in March 2020. As of this month, APHQ is powered by 100 per cent climate neutral electricity.
All electricity supplied to APHQ, including the office buildings and R&D labs, has switched from traditional thermal power to hydropower generated electricity. Hydropower is a low-carbon renewable energy source. According to preliminary calculations based on APHQ campus' annual electricity consumption of 15 million kwh, switching to hydropower will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 11,000 tonnes – a 97 per cent decrease in emissions compared to using the same amount of thermal power.
“We are committed to reducing emissions across our value chain on our journey towards becoming a climate neutral company by 2040.”
"We have always been committed to sustainable operations and have rolled out a series of effective practices in reducing emissions," said Pam Li, head of workplace APAC. "The achievement of 100 per cent climate neutral electricity at APHQ demonstrates our determination in reducing Volvo Cars' dependence on fossil fuels. As corporate citizens, we must make changes to ensure we do everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint and create a future we can be proud of."
Soon, APHQ will also install solar panels and use solar power as an additional electricity source.
The switch to hydropower electricity is one of a series of initiatives aimed at reducing our total emissions in APAC.
Anders Kärrberg, head of global sustainability, said: "I'm delighted that our APAC HQ Campus has secured a 100 per cent climate neutral electricity supply. This good news follows the securing of a similar supply for our plants in Chengdu and Daqing.
“Climate action is now as important as safety at Volvo Cars. We are committed to reducing emissions across our value chain on our journey towards becoming a climate neutral company by 2040. Addressing our operational footprint is key. Our global manufacturing plants are already powered by over 90 per cent fossil free electricity. This is further evidence that we are quite literally putting our own house in order," Anders said.
