BMW Group sets the tone at COP26.

The BMW Group relentlessly pursues its sustainability goals. Transparency and open exchange with different stakeholders on progress in sustainability play a central role here. The framework for this comprises internal and external dialogue formats. Numerous international events are taking place in Glasgow and London for the United Nations' Climate Change Conference COP26 in November 2021. The BMW Group uses these forums to address global climate change. The BMW Group is eager to discuss and listen to constructively critical stakeholders on issues such as the circular economy and CO₂ reduction.

BMW Group is the exclusive partner of the Sustainable Innovation Forum.

The BMW Group has been a partner of the Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF) since the 2016 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris – and this year is the exclusive partner. The SIF is one of the most important exchange formats in the context of the COP, bringing together representatives from politics, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), cities, the financial world and industry. For the first time, Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, delivered the opening address for the three-day event in Glasgow. He set clear priorities: “The key to sustainability is innovation. Innovation in technologies, but also innovation in thinking that overcomes limitations. And most of all, it is about pursuing and implementing a committed roadmap along with clear goals. The mantra has got to be: Don’t procrastinate and strategise. Act. Now.”

A crucial element here is to reduce CO₂. That is why the BMW Group has set itself a significant interim target for 2030 across the entire value chain: CO₂ emissions attributable to their vehicles are to be reduced by no less than 40 percent starting from the raw material, right through the supply chain, production and use up to eventual recycling. The Integrated Group Report will transparently verify and document this reduction. The BMW Group is also a member of the Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTI). In the run-up to the COP, the company signed the “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” commitment. This means the company commits itself to the goal of complete climate neutrality by 2050 latest.

Focus on the circular economy

The BMW Group emphasises the topic of the circular economy. The company pursues the vision of a circular economy which aims to keep raw materials circulating for as long as possible. The BMW i Vision Circular concept vehicle served as an exhibit and contribution to the discussion in Glasgow: it illustrates how a vehicle can be made of 100-percent secondary materials and the particular challenges this entails.

These dialogue platforms took place in the run-up to COP26:

• On 14 October, the BMW Group hosted a panel discussion at the National History Museum, where Dr Thomas Becker, Head of Sustainability and Mobility, and the participants explored how the industry can evolve to accelerate the path towards decarbonisation.
• A number of discussion groups met at the Park Lane Vision Vehicle Event in London in the first week of November. Representatives from media and politics as well as interested customers took part in workshops. This year, for the fifth time, the dialogue-oriented rad°hub platform offered the opportunity to discuss challenges of future mobility.
• On 7 November in Glasgow, the BMW Group invited representatives from politics, business, science and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to a lively exchange on the topic of “Circular Responsibility” at the BMW Group Dialogue.

We see this lively exchange as an extraordinary opportunity to bring different interest groups together and to promote dialogue on topics that are essential to our society as a whole.