Volvo Cars has joined the Accelerating to Zero Coalition, which was launched at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. During COP27 and ahead of the forthcoming G8 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Volvo Cars also called on countries to step up their own climate action and meet the threat of global warming.
The Accelerating to Zero Coalition consists of a group of stakeholders committed to facilitating and increasing the pace of the transition to zero-emission mobility. It builds on last year’s Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Vehicles at COP26. Signatories committed to work towards making 100% of global car and van sales free of tailpipe emissions by 2040, and no later than 2035 in leading markets (Europe, China, Japan and the U.S.).
The formation of the coalition addresses the need for an international platform for global zero tailpipe emission vehicle (ZEV) leadership. Through close collaboration, it aims to help create the right conditions to boost zero tailpipe emission cars and vans, including through the electrification of corporate fleets and the development of a comprehensive charging infrastructure.
Separately, Volvo Cars joined over 200 other businesses and civil society organizations in signing a call, organized by the We Mean Business Coalition, on national governments to increase their climate ambition and delivery.
So, far only 29 out of 194 countries have done so after COP26, despite pledging to do so under the Glasgow Climate Pact. The call makes clear that 1.5 degrees of global warming is a limit rather than a target, and that urgent national action is essential if the world is not to exceed this limit.
In addition, during a panel discussion hosted by Volvo Cars, its head of sustainability Anders Kärrberg also announced it is endorsing the Call on Carbon initiative. Together with Inter IKEA, H&M Group, SSAB and others, the initiative urges governments to introduce an effective policy framework for carbon pricing.