Transforming Transportation
Together with our Scania, MAN, Volkswagen Truck & Bus (VWTB), Navistar, and RIO brands, we are working hard to make the entire transportation industry more sustainable. To achieve this goal, we are continuously developing our value chain further — in economic, but also ecological and social terms. As part of this process, we aim to generate the maximum benefit for our customers and society at large over the entire life cycle of our products.
Materiality analysis
In order to better understand the influence we have on sustainable development, TRATON conducted its first materiality analysis in 2021. Together with its brands, it analyzed its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on business performance. The focal point of this process was the question of how long-term values and objectives can be firmly established within TRATON’s future collective strategy across all brands. Said strategy will not treat sustainability as a separate aspect, instead making it a strategic focus in the shape of a sustainable corporate strategy. This will enable the brands’ existing sustainability activities under the TRATON umbrella to be incorporated and continued at the level of the holding company, too. As a result of this process, we have identified three focus areas: Decarbonization & Circularity, People & Diversity, and Governance & Ethics, which we see as our biggest levers for transforming the transportation sector.
Strategic focus areas
For TRATON, corporate responsibility means undertaking considerable transformative endeavors across the three focus areas to achieve the SDGs.
Transforming the business model and product design to reduce CO2 emissions and resource consumption
With a view to achieving holistic decarbonization, TRATON looks at all aspects of its value chain. This is because simply reducing the CO2 emissions of its products and production activities will not be enough to bring about the necessary transformation of the transportation sector. Energy supply concepts must also be kept in mind — ideally, the energy requirements should be met by renewable sources. A solid climate strategy is based on sound data and scientifically verified objectives. As part of our strategy to reduce CO2 emissions, we intend to reduce emissions in the scope and at the rate necessary to limit global warming in accordance with scientific findings. Scania, for example, set itself ambitious Science Based Targets (SBTs) in 2020 with the aim of reducing its CO2 emissions. MAN also updated its Climate Strategy in 2020. The new strategy sets out carbon-neutral production by 2030 and for MAN vehicles to generate zero local emissions by 2050. Specifically, the share of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) MAN sells worldwide is to increase to 60% (vans) and 40% (long-haul trucks) by 2030. Scania is striving for ZEVs to make up 50% of its fleet across all vehicle categories. We will work together with all brands of the TRATON GROUP to adopt climate targets along with corresponding roadmaps. In order to underline our ambitions in terms of environmental leadership, we have prepared an Environmental Statement.
As part of its commitment to climate neutrality in the transportation sector, TRATON also relies on the idea of circularity. Together with our strategic partners, we are working on concepts that will enable us to take responsibility in both upstream and downstream stages of our value chain. Scania, for example, has been advocating for low-carbon steel production since 2021 within the framework of its partnership with H2 Green Steel.
Relevant SDGs for the Decarbonization & Circularity focus area
Promoting a variety of competencies and equal opportunities for employees and partners to increase employer attractiveness and innovative strength. As part of this process, we look beyond our own Company and put social responsibility into practice along our value chain.
Our aim is to be a trustworthy partner for our employees, our global supplier network, and for society as a whole. To achieve this aim, we bundle our strengths and deliberately focus on diversity within our Company, which we see as a precondition for our innovative strength. As an example of measures to increase this awareness, all MAN managers have been trained on the importance of diversity within the Company as a prerequisite for its business success since September 2020 as part of the “Skill Capture for Inclusive Leadership Labs” program. In the course of this program, they learn about methods they can use to strengthen pluralism and inclusion in their day-to-day work.
Taking social responsibility is part of how TRATON sees itself as a company. For example, we encourage our employees to volunteer as part of our “Helfen macht Freude” (“The joy of helping”) brand program. We underpinned our commitment to a pluralistic workforce by signing the Diversity Charter in 2019.
Safety is also an important foundation of our social responsibility, both within our own Company and when it comes to our products. Our mission is to create a sustainable transportation system that is clean, safe, and efficient — with the aim of serving human beings and society and minimizing negative social and ecological impact. This is something we make possible with the help of automated driving systems, which are a cornerstone of lower-risk and more efficient road and freight transportation.
Relevant SDGs for the People & Diversity focus area
Facilitating a transparent, risk-oriented, and fair decision-making process that is consistent with the Company’s rights and obligations and generates long-term value for TRATON and its stakeholders
Compliance with applicable laws, the Code of Conduct for employees, and the Code of Conduct for Suppliers and Business Partners is the basic prerequisite for the success of our business. We respect and follow regulations safeguarding human rights that are applicable worldwide as fundamental and universally valid guidelines. In this respect, the Executive Board and the TRATON SE Works Council have published a Policy Statement on Human Rights, which transparently reflects our commitment and describes which activities we have already implemented within the TRATON GROUP for the protection of human rights. The statement is complemented by our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.
Relevant SDGs for the Governance & Ethics focus area
