To ensure that all work being done at a Volvo Trucks factory is conducted as stipulated in the Volvo Group’s environmental standard, all our factories and premises are certified according to the international standard for environmental management systems, ISO14001. All this pro-environmental work is naturally adapted to suit specific local conditions.
In addition to this, we impose the same demands for environmental care and certification on our different dealers and workshops as we do on ourselves.
CO2 – neutral production
Volvo Trucks has the ambition to make all its production plants carbon dioxide-neutral. Today, our plant in Ghent, Belgium has already achieved this target and our plants at Tuve and Umeå in Sweden are well on their way. The main approach has been to gradually revert to wind power and biofuel as the energy sources used for electricity and heating. Before the end of 2008, all three plants will have reduced their CO2 emissions to as close to zero as technically possible.
Increasing energy efficiency
The drive to boost energy efficiency is another continuous process. It helps reduce both energy consumption and emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide. In 2003, Volvo Trucks took a decision to cut energy consumption by an average of 29% per plant within three years, beginning in 2004. The target was met already end of 2005. The new target is 24% per produced unit by end of year 2008. Since operating conditions differ from plant to plant, the individual targets vary.
Handling solvents and waste
The emission of solvents has long been a high-priority issue. For example, the emission of solvents from the Volvo Trucks cab paint shop in Umeå is among the absolute lowest in the industry, way below the level required by legislation. Furthermore, all environmentally hazardous waste is dealt with in a controlled way at all our factories. Other types of waste, such as metal, paper and plastic, are sorted at source and recycled to an ever-increasing degree.
Use of water
In many parts of the world, water is a scarce resource. In order to reduce the consumption of water, all Volvo’s majority-owned facilities have their own water treatment plants or are linked to external water treatment plants. More and more facilities are also introducing closed-loop systems for process water.
Importers and dealers
In order for the truck’s environmental properties to be maintained throughout its lifetime, we also impose demands on how it is handled and maintained. Volvo’s dealers and workshops work towards the ISO 14001 standards and receive detailed instructions on how used lubricants and other fluids are to be handled, which parts can be reused and so on.
It is also important that the truck itself is handled and driven in the appropriate way and that it is powered by high-quality fuel. Volvo Trucks provides both detailed information at delivery and ongoing driver training.