Volkswagen has detailed how it plans to become net carbon neutral by 2050, including a major investment in renewable technology.

VW outlined the decarbonisation roadmap during its inaugural Way to Zero Convention. The brand is focusing on developing its new range of ID electric vehicles, and CEO Ralf Brandstätter said it would now push to reduce carbon emissions from its production process.

“Our big electric offensive was just the start,” said Brandstätter. “We’re taking a holistic approach to decarbonisation: from production through service life to recycling.”

“With size and success comes responsibility. In 2020, the Volkswagen Group’s global carbon footprint was 369 million tonnes. If Volkswagen were a country, it would rank alongside the UK as the 10th-largest emitter,” said Brandstätter. 

VW has set a target of achieving a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per vehicle in Europe by 2040 compared with 2018 levels, which the German brand says equates to around 17 tonnes less CO2.

To meet the climate targets introduced in the European Green Deal, Brandstätter said that the brand needs to increase its share of EV sales from 35 percent to 55 percent by 2030, meaning an additional 300,000 units per year.

VW is also pushing to develop its battery recycling operation, and says that it intends to recycle more than 90 percent of the raw materials used in its batteries in the future.

VW will construct renewable energy projects such as wind farms and solar plants in Europe. The first project is a solar plant in Tramm-Göthen, Germany, with a capacity of 170 million kilowatt-hours per year.

By 2025, VW says the facilities will generate seven terawatt-hours of green electricity, and says that it will grow this output to match the number of ID vehicles on the road.