Top marks in sustainability efforts for Continental

In 2022, Continental was awarded the highest rating by the international non-profit organisation 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 only eight per cent of companies who were awarded top marks by CDP in 2022 for their commitment in this area.

In particular, Continental was recognised for its “holistic approach” of working closely with its suppliers to achieve broad improvements by involving as many stages of the supply chain as possible.

“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,” said Claus Petschick, head of sustainability at Continental Tyres.

“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.”

Continental says it 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, a leading provider of sustainability ratings for companies and global supply chains, since 2017. Clear responsibilities and obligations for the selection of suppliers help minimise environmental risks and emissions, as well as social and human rights risks.

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