Validation comes a year ahead of schedule following a commitment in 2021
Belron, the world’s leading vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration (“VGRRR”) group, today announces that its near-term (2030) and long-term (2050) net-zero emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (“SBTi”), an organisation focused on helping companies establish science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions and transition towards a low-carbon economy.
Belron is a year ahead of the commitment made in 2021, as part of its sustainability-linked loan agreement to have its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets validated by the SBTi by the end of 2024.
Carlos Brito, CEO of Belron, said: “Doing business responsibly is at the heart of Belron. This validation shows our commitment to responding to climate change by taking meaningful, measurable action to reduce emissions across our entire value chain.”
The following targets submitted by Belron have been validated by the SBTi:
- By 2030
- Reduce scope 1 & 2 (direct & indirect) emissions by 42%*; and
- Reduce scope 3 (value chain) emissions by 25%*.
- By 2050
- Commit to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain
- Reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 90%*
*from a 2021 base year
“We are serious about becoming a net zero business by 2050 and to achieve this we are committed to working closely with all our suppliers and stakeholders to deliver emissions reductions across Belron and our value chain,” Carlos Brito added.
Belron is taking the following steps to meet its SBTi-validated targets:
Scope 1:
- Reducing vehicle emissions – Belron’s fleet of over 11,000 vehicles is its biggest source of Scope 1 emissions. The company plans to use more low-emission and electric vehicles, such as the vans it currently deploys in the USA and Norway. At present, the company has over 550 electric cars in countries around the world, including Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and the UK. In France, Belron is aiming to move its fleet to 100% electric by early 2024.
- Reducing emissions from branches, distribution centres, warehouses and offices – including the removal of fossil fuel heating with electrified heat pump technology. One of Belron’s businesses, Autoglass UK®, recently opened its first off-grid service centre which receives its electrical power from 12 on-roof solar panels.
Scope 2:
- Using more renewable electricity. Today, around one third of the electricity Belron uses globally comes from renewable sources. The company plans to increase this to 100% to eliminate scope 2 emissions.
Scope 3:
- Reducing emissions in our supply chain by working with critical glass suppliers to reduce the emissions intensity of the products we buy, minimising road haulage impacts and keeping as much waste from landfill as possible.
In addition to this, wherever possible Belron will repair a windscreen rather than replace it. A windscreen repair results in at least 70% less emissions than a replacement**. With its targets now validated, Belron will share regular updates on its progress in accordance with the SBTi’s guidelines. More information is available here.
Learn more about Belron’s Responsible Business Framework here.
**A product carbon footprint analysis undertaken in Germany and France in 2019, assured by Bureau Veritas
