Materials Strategy and Sustainable Development Goals
As part of our Materials Strategy, we constantly analyze and pay special attention to raw materials that could be linked to potential breaches of environmental and social standards. The potential risks are highest during the extraction and processing of 37 raw materials and raw material groups of relevance to the automotive industry. For each material, the BMW Group not only implements standardised preventive and reactive measures but also applies its own specific measures.
Transparency and Traceability
A particular challenge in this context is to ensure transparency and traceability within the ever-changing supplier network. We do this in various ways, such as our commitment to the Catena-X alliance for secure, standardised data exchange.
Reducing Use of Critical Raw Materials
We are also working to reduce or eliminate our use of critical raw materials and have established raw material-specific sustainability standards for the relevant components. This has already enabled us to gradually reduce the share of cobalt in battery cells, for example, to just under 10 percent at present.
Monatorium on Deep Sea Mining
In addition, until sufficient research has been carried out on the environmental impact, we have pledged not to use any cobalt, nickel, manganese or other minerals that are extracted via deep sea mining. We have also joined other companies in imposing a monatorium on these materials.
Increasing Use of Secondary Materials
To reduce emissions and raw materials extraction even further, the BMW Group is significantly increasing the share of secondary materials in its cars, to as much as 50 percent . Closed material loops reduce the need for new raw materials and also lower the risk of environmental and social standards being breached within the supply chain. For example, for the first time, we have now successfully established a closed loop for the re-use of nickel, lithium and cobalt from high-voltage batteries in China.
Raw Material Profiles
The following raw material profiles provide information on our measures and are expanded on an ongoing basis.
SDGs, Targets and Indicators
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SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
- Indicator: Percentage of raw materials sourced from sustainable and responsible suppliers.
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SDG 13: Climate Action
- Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
- Indicator: Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the production and use of raw materials.
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SDG 14: Life Below Water
- Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts.
- Indicator: Non-use of minerals extracted via deep sea mining.
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SDG 15: Life on Land
- Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, and poverty reduction strategies.
- Indicator: Percentage of raw materials sourced from suppliers that comply with environmental and social standards.
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Source: bmwgroup.com
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