最新发布的一份排行榜显示,全球汽车产业正在为生产更绿色的电动车迅速积聚动能。这些电动车不仅以电驱动,更重要的是,它们的制造过程采用了一系列闭环措施与脱碳材料,以在最大程度上降低成车对环境、工人与社区产生的负面影响。该项名为“Lead the Charge汽车供应链排行榜”的年度调研对全球18家汽车制造商进行了评估。
今年是该排行榜推出的第四年。它对汽车制造商在打造公平、可持续与无化石燃料的供应链方面的努力进行了排名。结果显示,大多数上榜企业在供应链清洁化方面已经迈出了初始却重要的一步。
该调研的发布方为一个由多个气候、人权与投资者团体组成的全球网络。今年的调研还发现,多家行业领头羊(包括福特、梅赛德斯、特斯拉、沃尔沃和大众汽车)正全速前行,拉开与其他竞争者的差距。与首期排行榜相比,这四家企业的平均进步幅度是其他13家企业的两倍之多。同时,它们已经开始推行多项颇具成效的行业实践,这些实践不仅实现了车体材料的脱碳,并且减少了供应链的环境破坏与人权伤害。 例如:
- 沃尔沃与梅赛德斯在钢材与铝材的脱碳上投入巨资。梅赛德斯的CLA与沃尔沃的ES90这两款新车型均标明了其低碳钢铝的使用量。
- 梅赛德斯、大众汽车和特斯拉分别发布了详细的原材料报告,对其如何防止、减少和弥补不同供应链(如锂、钴和镍)所产生的人权伤害与环境破坏进行了描述。
本期的排行榜共设88个指标,如果将每个指标下的最高分相加、形成一个虚拟的企业总得分的话,该得分将高达86%。这意味着,仅靠全面复制同行的最佳实践,单个公司就可将其总分提高至如此高度。这也印证了,生产更清洁的电动车这一目标触手可及。
研究同时发现,汽车行业里最显著的供应链发展进程几乎全部集中在电动车供应链。例如,汽车供应商会对其推出的电动车(而非内燃机)车型进行钢铝脱碳,它们也更注重加强电动车电池供应链的透明度、回收利用效率与负责任采购机制。欧美国家正纷纷在电动车的政策扶持与产业规划上发生后退,而本排行榜的发现无疑为全球的电动车行业注入了一剂强心针。同时,它也向消费者证明,除了帮助减排,购买电动车益处良多。
本期排行榜的其他发现包括:
- 在所有国家的汽车制造商中,中国企业的进步最大。一方面,吉利已经成为东亚地区得分最高的企业,不仅在电池的脱碳与回收方面展示出了多重业界最佳实践,同时在人权保护方面取得了巨大的进步。另一方面,全球最大的电动车制造商比亚迪也在多个领域开始发力,不仅出版全新的供应商守则,还设立了一项新的供应链申诉机制。
- 过半的上榜企业在电池回收与再利用方面取得了进步。它们中有些在电池设计方面加大投资,以此提高电池的可回收性,另一些则通过商业合作将旧电池重新投入储能领域。与此同时,部分公司将全新的回收技术投入市场。
- 尊重原住民权利方面,大多数汽车制造商(18家中的12家)已经开始采取行动,而在2023年,这个数字仅为六家。
- 虽然特斯拉在整体排名上占据榜首,但在供应链脱碳与负责任采购两大方面,沃尔沃和福特则分别为行业最佳。由于特斯拉与福特的强劲表现,美国公司在所有地区集团中平均得分最高。
- 比亚迪和吉利这两家中国汽车制造商与雷诺一道并列成为了本年度排行榜上进步最大的企业。
然而,本期的排行榜也显示,汽车行业在供应链绿色转型上仍然前路漫漫。即使是行业领头羊也无法在各个方面均保持稳定的表现,也没有一家企业的总分突破50%,部分汽车制造商甚至发生了退步:
- 在打造清洁供应链方面,全球最大的汽车制造商丰田仍然是行业掉队者,在排行榜底部挣扎。同样位列榜尾的还有中国国有企业广汽集团与上汽集团,两者均在钢铝脱碳与负责任矿产采购方面停滞不前。
- 作为唯一一家未能发布年度可持续报告的企业,通用汽车的排名发生了剧烈的下滑,被吉利与现代汽车超越。
Lead the Charge团队成员提供的评论:
- 欧洲运输环境联合会(Transport & Environment)的原材料专员弗朗西斯卡·古宁(Franziska Grüning)表示:“今年的排行榜显示,发展更加清洁与负责的供应链已经成为汽车制造商中的常态,而非特例。这个趋势并非自然形成,而是受益于欧盟出台的一系列绿色政策。这些政策意味着,遵循可持续发展对于一个企业而言已不再是锦上添花的加分策略,而是必须购买的商业入场券。 今年的排行榜同时显示,中国汽车制造商在建立使用非化石能源与负责任的供应链方面取得了重要的进程,即使这些进程仍然缓慢。比亚迪与吉利的进步最大,尤其是吉利,它在排名上首次超越了现代汽车,成为亚洲企业中的领军者。吉利引入了全新的供应商要求,并且提高了信息披露度,大大提升了其在提高电池可持续性方面的进展。然而,中国企业的表现也参差不齐,例如,国有汽车制造商在信息披露、供应链脱碳与负责任采购方面的表现均十分疲软。 然而,与沃尔沃与其电池护照等欧洲的领先企业与措施相比,中国汽车制造商在打造‘矿场至电池’的透明度以及披露环境与人权的保护手段方面仍然落后。在欧盟,《电池法案》是驱动企业进步的关键元素。该法案不仅要求在欧盟销售电池的企业必须追踪其关键电池原材料,同时强制要求它们建立电池尽责管理以及供应链申诉与补偿机制。”
- 韩国非营利机构“气候解决方案”(Solutions for Our Climate)的钢铁项目负责人海瑟·李(Heather Lee)表示:“在汽车供应商的范围三排放中,由钢铁产生的排放占比最大。尽管如此,包括现代汽车与起亚汽车在内的众多东亚汽车制造商仍然缺乏清晰的专项脱碳路径。与全球最佳实践相比,它们仍然没有设立有时间限制的绿钢使用目标,也没有设立可靠的绿钢运用机制。 与此同时,目前国际上还没有统一的定义来解释‘绿钢’这一概念,这愈发削减了问责机制的效力。为了确保行业公信力,绿钢的定义必须与国际能源署的基本原则相一致,高透明度、可被核查与实际可操作的减排措施也必须被优先推广。由于碳排放交易机制(CBAM)等各类欧盟的贸易措施正在加大碳排放强度与市场准入的挂钩度,受钢脱碳影响的不再只是环境,同时也是一个企业的竞争力。”
- 美国非营利机构Earthworks的采矿项目总监艾伦·摩尔(Ellen Moore)表示:“电动车生产商在一系列指标上的进步证明,它们完全有能力帮助矿产供应链进行转型。作为颇具影响力的矿产采购商,它们完全可以推动整个采矿产业朝着尊重原住民、工人权利、人权与环境的方向发展。”
- 美国倡议组织Public Citizen的汽车供应链部门项目总监阿比拉莎·波拉(Abhilasha Bhola)表示:“今年的排行榜证明,在供应链的实践与排放方面披露更细化的数据是完全可能的,而此种做法可以激发行业的良性竞争。福特、沃尔沃和梅赛德斯不仅为行业设置的标杆,同时也凸显了丰田等行业落后分子的差距。其他汽车制造商只有在钢、铝和电池供应链方面披露分类排放数据与采购信息,才能够保持竞争力。”
- 美国倡议组织Mighty Earth的资深总监马修·戈罗奇(Matthew Groch)表示:“最新一期Lead the Charge排行榜表明,梅赛德斯奔驰、沃尔沃与吉利等行业领头羊正在上市的车型里提高低碳钢铝的使用量,并在此方面加大投资。这表示,它们的承诺已经从可持续报告延展到实际生产中。本排行榜同时揭示,在减少车辆中钢铝的隐藏排放方面,行业掉队者与领先者之间的差距巨大。由于汽车制造商在承诺使用低碳钢铝方面的进程仍然缓慢,因此,它们正向供应商发出一个信号,即化石燃料高炉产生的排放是完全可以被接受的。”
- 美国环保组织塞拉俱乐部 (Sierra Club)的大众清洁交通总监凯瑟琳·加西亚(Katherine García)表示:“今年的排行榜显示,提高电动车的普及率与加快供应链的可持续与尽责发展完全可以并存。事实上,发展电动车市场可以成为打造清洁与公平的供应链的催化剂。在为我们打造更健康与更可持续的未来方面,汽车制造商掌握着主动权。”
- 刚果民主共和国非营利机构Afrewatch International的项目总监埃里克·甘(Eric Ngang)表示:“关键原材料的采掘正对环境与人权产生持续危害,在这个时间节点上,某些汽车制造商的拙劣表现令人难以接受。本期排行榜上,行业平均分仅为25%,某些企业在尽责管理上的表现更为糟糕,人权与环境为此付出了高昂的代价。”
- 美国原住民权力机构 “绿色经济原住民维权联盟”(SIRGE Coalition)的执行总监加林娜·安嘉若娃(Galina Angarova)表示:“不承诺尊重原住民自由自愿、事先知情的认可权的汽车制造商首次成为少数派。 然而,即使现有的承诺也还未转化为实际的行动与在地的尊重。在供应链与转型矿产的采掘方面,实际行动远远落后于政策宣言。汽车行业必须立即将其对权利的认可转化为执行力。“
- “Consumers don’t want to drive over climate destruction or human rights abuses. More than 56,000 people — including 70 of Hyundai’s own shareholders — are calling on the company to clean up its supply chain. The Leaderboard gives consumers and investors the facts they need to make informed choices, showing which automakers are driving real change — and which are simply stalling.” – Nish Humphreys, Campaigns Manager at Ekō
- “While this year’s leaderboard shows improvements in battery recycling disclosure, far more quantitative and qualitative data are urgently needed from all automakers. Companies must both know—and show —how much battery-grade material they are recovering, and how they are protecting communities’ right to know across this expanding supply chain” – Lien De Brouckere, Global Batteries Lead, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)
- “The latest Lead the Charge Leaderboard makes it clear that industry leaders, such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Geely automakers, are making significant investments in incorporating low-carbon steel and aluminum into the vehicles they sell, not just in sustainability reports. The Leaderboard exposes just how far behind other automakers are in meaningfully addressing the embodied emissions from steel and aluminum in their vehicles. As automakers drag their feet on committing to low-carbon steel and aluminum, they send a signal to suppliers that pollution from fossil fuel-fired blast furnaces and smelters is still acceptable. Hopefully, the latest Leaderboard findings will be a wake-up call to laggard automakers to clean up their steel and aluminum supply now or risk falling even further behind their competitors.” – Matthew Groch, Senior Director at Mighty Earth
- “Steel makes up around 60% of a car’s weight, and most is still produced in coal-based blast furnaces. Carmakers are rightly making the ethical and green materials inside their cabins a big selling point, but with truly green steel poised for commercial production, firm commitments from car makers will help convince steelmakers to commit to greener production. The greenest EV makers with the most compelling cars will soon be those that avoid “mass balance” creative accounting approaches, and expand their green and ethical philosophy to their entire vehicles.” – Roger Smith, SteelWatch Asia Lead.
- “As the Trump administration attempts to roll back U.S. climate policy and vehicle emission standards, it is more important than ever for automakers to advance global efforts to clean up their supply chains while continuing to produce electric vehicles,” said Katherine García, Sierra Club Clean Transportation for All Director. “The auto industry thrives on regulatory certainty, and the current administration is once again throwing the industry into disarray. This year’s Lead the Charge analysis shows that greater EV adoption and advancing more sustainable and responsible supply chains are not mutually exclusive. In fact, growing the EV market can serve as a catalyst for clean and equitable supply chains. Automakers have the power to lead us toward a healthier, more sustainable future.”
- “To maintain their credibility as part of the solution to the climate crisis, the electric vehicle industry must strengthen their human rights due diligence, including by pushing mining companies in their supply chains to respect the rights of communities, end environmentally destructive practices, and decarbonize. As Climate Rights International has documented in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of nickel, the consequences of the rush for battery minerals can be disastrous for local communities and the climate, including land grabbing, severe air and water quality pollution, attacks on environmental human rights defenders, and the buildout of new captive coal plants to power the nickel industry. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Electric vehicle companies have unique leverage to demand that the minerals used in their supply chains are mined and processed in an environmentally sustainable and rights-respecting way and could position themselves as global leaders in the fight against climate change if they step their due diligence.” – Krista Shennum, Senior Researcher, Climate Rights International
- “Two-thirds of automakers now cite UNDRIP and FPIC in their policies. It is an important shift. But with an average of just 15%, the gap between promises and practice remains unacceptable. Indigenous Peoples know where the real impacts happen. We communities struggle especially with their upstream suppliers, mines, smelters, and others that feed so called “clean” cars. Disclosure and risk=mapping are not enough unless they lead to enforceable action. FPIC as a binding supplier requirement, full traceability to extraction sites, Indigenous engagement and participation, and real consequences and remedy when violations and abuses occur. The test is simple: will automakers use their purchasing power to keep minerals taken without consent out of their vehicles?” – Edson Krenak, Krenak People – Cultural Survival Brazil program Manager
- “Such win on positive progress the automakers have made in recent years addressing deforestation risks, strengthening due diligence, and improving transparency across their supply chains. These signals show growing recognition of the importance of responsible sourcing and nature-related risk management. However, important gaps and shortfalls remain, and further improvements are needed to ensure consistent, comprehensive implementation. Investors require greater certainty that these efforts will translate into long-term value creation, and robust action to protect nature is a critical component of that confidence.” – Jasmine Puteri, Rainforest Foundation Norway
关于本排行榜:
- 本排行榜上,公司的满分设为100%。该打分方式不仅能够体现不同汽车制造商之间的差距,还能显示单个汽车制造商在生产清洁车辆的表现上是否达到了排行榜的预期。
- 本排行榜共设88项指标,共计1584个数据点。所有指标分属于两个大项:“无化石燃料以及可持续与环保的供应链”与“尊重人权与负责任采购”。两个大项分别拥有四个单项,它们各自代表了供应链里的不同问题。
- 今年的排行榜上,所有18家企业的平均总分为25%,没有一家企业的总分达到或超过50%。特斯拉的总分最高,为49%。福特与沃尔沃以45%与44%分列第二与第三。中国企业上汽集团的得分最低,仅为3%。
