In 2022, Continental was awarded the highest rating by the international non-profit organization CDP for the fifth time in a row for its efforts in implementing measures and strategies to reduce emissions in the supply chain (“Supplier Engagement Rating”). This puts Continental among the eight percent of companies who were awarded top marks by CDP in 2022 for their commitment in this area. In particular, Continental’s holistic approach of working closely with its suppliers to achieve broad improvements by involving as many stages of the supply chain as possible was recognized.

“We want higher efficiency and lower emissions. By 2050 at the latest, we want to achieve fully sustainable supply chains, and we are working at full speed to reach this goal. Receiving this score once again from CDP proves that we are on the right track to further reduce our emissions generated both within our company and externally,” said Claus Petschick, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tyres.

Digital technology and precise data management create transparency

Continental is taking a holistic approach in order to make the complex and fragmented supply chains for natural rubber more sustainable. The company’s commitment encompasses everything from training smallholders in collaboration with the German development aid agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through to using cutting-edge digital technology and conducting research into alternative sources for natural rubber.

To enable it to assess the sustainability performance of suppliers, Continental has been working with EcoVadis, the world’s leading provider of sustainability ratings for companies and global supply chains, since 2017. Clear responsibilities and obligations for the selection of suppliers help minimize environmental risks and emissions, as well as social and human rights risks.

By 2030, Continental’s ambition is to exclusively use responsibly sourced natural rubber in its tyre production.

Leadership status in the area of climate change mitigation

For more than ten years now, Continental has been taking part in the annual reporting and disclosure of climate protection-relevant data for assessment by CDP. In addition to the top score in the area of supply chain, the company achieved an “A-” rating in the area of climate protection and thus the so-called leadership status. The non-profit organization awarded this distinction to only 1.5 percent of the companies that took part in the assessment. In the area of sustainable water management, Continental maintained its performance from the previous year, once again receiving a “B.”

In total, more than 13,000 organizations were analyzed worldwide. The analysis is based on the data submitted by the companies regarding corporate governance, emissions generated externally and thus in the context of the entire product cycle (Scope 3 emissions) and supply chain management. In particular, CDP focuses on strategies and measures that help to make environmental risks and emissions along value chains measurable so that they can ultimately be minimized.

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