On 20th September 2019, Scania conducted a one hour worldwide shutdown to conduct sustainability training for its employees. 20th September has been announced as Scania Climate Day. Aside from that, Scania took another valiant step forward and responded to the call by the United Nations for businesses to step up and take bolder actions in tackling climate change by pledging to the decarbonisation target in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. This is the first step in their new 2050 commitment to combat climate change.
This new 2050 strategy is touted as a big step forward from Scania’s current 2025 strategy. The 2050 commitment will hopefully see Scania operating with net-zero emissions by then. Currently, Scania is committed towards cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 50 percent from its land transport per transported tonne by 2025 (which uses emissions ratings from 2016 as a baseline), cutting CO2 emissions from its operations by 50 percent by 2025 (using 2015 as a baseline), switching to 100 percent fossil-free electricity by 2020 where the necessary prerequisites (i.e government regulations) are in place, and continuing to offer the broadest range of products on the market that run on alternatives to fossil fuel such as its commercial biofuel solutions.
According to Scania, the new commitment will see them working towards further reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the pace and scale that is pre-determined through scientific research. Scania Southeast Asia Managing Director, Marie Sjödin Enström said, “As a business, Scania has been at the forefront of providing sustainable transport solutions to our customers, but we wanted to do more especially noting that road transport accounts for approximately 14 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Answering the call by the United Nations reinforces the work that we are already committed to implement,”
“Organising the Scania Climate Day is the first step towards our new 2050 commitment of achieving net-zero emissions as every single Scania employee will become a sustainability ambassador to battle climate change,” added Marie.
On Scania Climate Day, Scania Malaysia and Singapore had commemorated the occasion when over 350 employees from all twelve of Scania Malaysia branches nationwide as well as the Regional Product Centre in Port Klang, Scania Singapore and Asia Product Centre in Singapore attended a one hour sustainability training at their respective premises. The programme included discussions, quizzes, and reflection and sharing sessions, ending with the charting of concrete action steps. Feedback and suggestions from the employees will be reviewed for possible implementation at Scania premises in Malaysia and Singapore.
Scania employees also identified and agreed on further actions that they will take as part of their commitment towards battling climate change. Among the immediate action that will be taken are to further reduce the usage of plastics within the operations, having more of a paperless working environment and also further promoting the Scania Ecolution system to customers as part of the effort to reduce CO2 emissions by Scania’s trucks and busses.
In the near future, Scania Malaysia will also look into the feasibility of using alternative energy sources such as solar power to provide electricity at their offices and workshops as well as switching to biodegradable plastic in their operations wherever possible. The first Scania workshop that will feature solar power at its premise will be the new Johor Bahru branch that is targeted to be completed mid 2020.
Aside from that, feasibility of using alternative fuel in Scania vehicles for Malaysian market will also be studied upon as part of Scania’s continuing effort towards providing sustainable transport solutions. Of course, this is an outside factor where it is dependent on the type of fuel available in Malaysia, especially since the current situation is for the promotion of B10 and maybe B20 palm oil based biodiesel fuel.
Scania customers, fans, as well as members of the media also attended the Scania Climate Day training in support of the noble effort. Several members of the Royal Malaysian Navy attended the session at Scania Malaysia Bukit Jelutong while several customers participated in the training session held at Scania branches in Butterworth, Kuala Terengganu, and Ipoh.
Scania Climate Day is part of Scania’s global effort to involve all its 52,000 employees globally to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The event took place simultaneously around the world, with all Scania units worldwide suspending operations for one hour for employees to undergo sustainability training.
Scania Climate Day was planned as a demonstration of Scania’s commitment on the eve of the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York that began on 23 September 2019. A noble effort by the Swedish company. Note that it is these Scandinavian countries which seem to be at the forefront of sustainable business practices. Very noble indeed.
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