Compared to its 2010 baseline, the British luxury brand reported significant improvements in all areas, and is on track to deliver an ambitious 75% reduction in production-related environmental impact by 2025.
Data for the period 2010-2020 shows a dramatic fall in CO2 emissions at the Pyms Lane plant, down a remarkable 99.5% to just 29 kg per vehicle, which are offset. This drop in CO2 emissions is predominantly the result of Bentley utilising energy generated through its onsite solar PV system, alongside green gas and electricity supplies in the factory for the first time over a full 12-month cycle.
A range of other innovative measures taken at the home of the world’s most sought-after luxury car brand have also added to the impact. These include the installation of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuelling facilities – an ultra-low emissions alternative to conventional fuels for in house logistics.
The amount of water used in vehicle production has fallen by 55.9% over the same 10-year period, from 21.1 cubic metres per vehicle, to 9.31 cubic metres per vehicle. This saving of nearly 12 cubic metres per vehicle equates to around 150 bathtubs full of water – and has been achieved by installing water recycling systems, coupled with a reduction in ‘domestic’ water use on site as more colleagues worked from home.
Meanwhile, thanks to improvements in recycling processes, which reflect a circular economy approach, the very small amount of waste material that cannot be recycled and is sent to landfill fell by 99.1% compared to 2010, to just 3.57 kg/vehicle last year.
Peter Bosch, Member of the Board for Manufacturing, explains: “Creating Bentley’s climate positive ‘dream factory’ sits at the heart of our Beyond100 strategy to become the world’s most sustainable luxury car brand, and reflects the “go to zero” ethos of the entire Volkswagen Group, which is now in its tenth year of measuring production related environmental impact.
“By focusing on resource efficiency and a circular economy approach, our 2025 target is to reduce our production-related environmental impact by 75% compared to 2010 – so we’re delighted that the latest data shows such positive progress in the areas of energy, water and materials.
“Everyone within Bentley’s production operations has a part to play to ensure we meet these targets, so we have begun 2021 by engaging colleagues in the launch of our new ‘Wings’ manufacturing strategy, which will see us pioneer a paradigm shift in onsite sustainability”.
