MAN Truck & Bus joins Science Based Targets initiative and targets zero emissions by 2050
MAN Truck & Bus has joined more than 2,500 companies in the Science Based Targets initiative, tying its NewMAN strategy to scientifically validated climate targets and a zero-emissions goal by 2050.
- more than 2,500
- around 1,200
- almost 98%
- over 600 km
What Happened
Combating climate change with scientific precision, MAN Truck & Bus has joined more than 2,500 companies in the Science Based Targets initiative, an effort to reduce greenhouse gases in accordance with validated methods. The commercial vehicle manufacturer has declared sustainability a key component of its corporate strategy and is working under the motto NewMAN to reach zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. From now on it will focus on fully electric buses, heavy trucks and mid-sized to light commercial vehicles, as well as autonomous driving and digital strategies for route optimization. Fabian Heidinger, who is in charge of MAN's sustainability and decarbonization strategy, says there is still plenty of potential on the market.
At a conference in Paris, 197 countries adopt a joint climate agreement, the Paris Agreement.
The European Union sets out its own, more ambitious targets in the European Green Deal.
The EU adopts the "Fit for 55" package of directives, containing more stringent climate targets, market-oriented measures and regulatory requirements.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change publishes a report that once again underscores the urgency of change.
The strategic targets MAN submitted in 2021 are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
almost 98%
Scope 3 is decisive for MAN, with the main focus on emissions emitted during the use phase of the vehicles it sells.
- Direct emissions from the company's own production facilities plus indirect emissions from external energy production
- Almost 98 percent of emissions, mainly from the use phase of the vehicles sold
- By 2030, production is to be entirely net CO2 neutral.
- Heavy-duty electric trucks, especially for long-haul transportation, are planned with a daily range of over 600 kilometers; series production is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2024.
- From 2030 on, this will also include autonomous trucks with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers.
- The initial goal is a significant reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030; the exact target value will be published after validation by the Science Based Targets initiative.
According to the European Environment Agency, the transport industry is responsible for around one-third of all carbon emissions in the EU, and one-third of that can in turn be attributed to long-haul trucks. Heidinger says he would love to see large numbers of electric trucks and buses on the roads today, but that will only happen if all the players get on board — freight forwarders and local authorities as well as the global development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and the expansion of renewable energies. Heidinger has worked at MAN for ten years and took over the position of MAN Sustainable Lead in May 2021; for the target submission he benefited from the experience of fellow Group member Scania, which joined the initiative a little earlier, and in the next step he will support colleagues at Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and Navistar in South America and the US. He adds that climate protection is becoming increasingly relevant even among customers in the traditionally very cost-conscious B2B sector, with demand for electric vehicles on the rise, and that these vehicles will also be more attractive than internal combustion vehicles from an overall cost perspective.
“We need to advance and transform the entire company at the same time.”
Previously from TRATON Group
Earlier MotorClaw coverage showed the wider TRATON Group pushing in the same direction. The group's Stories page led with a feature on buses leading the way into an electric future, followed by a year of articles on e-mobility, modular powertrains and supply chains. Volkswagen Truck & Bus CTO Rodrigo Chaves has also argued that cutting transport CO2 is not about one perfect global technology but about matching biofuels, electrification and hybrids to each market's energy reality.
- TRATON's Stories page leads with electric buses, megawatt charging and modular powertrain work
- VWTB CTO Rodrigo Chaves on cutting truck CO2: match biofuels, electric and hybrid to each market's energy matrix
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of TRATON Group's official releases.
Why this matters
The story shows how a major truck and bus maker is putting its climate promises up for outside validation instead of setting its own rules. It matters most to fleet buyers and freight forwarders, because almost all of MAN's emissions come from the vehicles customers drive — and MAN argues electric trucks will also win on overall cost.
Terms in This Story
- Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
- A collaboration that helps companies set greenhouse-gas reduction targets in line with climate science and validates those self-imposed targets.
- Scope 3 emissions
- Indirect greenhouse-gas emissions that occur in a company's wider value chain, including the use phase of the products it sells.
- Paris Agreement
- A 2015 international climate agreement in which countries committed to limiting global warming.
- CO2 budget
- The total amount of carbon dioxide that can still be emitted while staying within a given temperature limit.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.