Polestar  – Volvo’s EV Brand – recently revealed, in its first ever annual review, that they are vowing to eliminate all emissions throughout their entire supply chain and productions of the car by 2030. Like Porsche most recently, Polestar are making a massive step in the carbon neutral direction.

They are calling it Polestar ‘0’ Project.

The aim is that their vehicles will each leave the factory gates with a zero-carbon footprint. We know what you’re thinking….very ambitious! It’s certainly unprecedented, but they have nine years to make it work.

You may have heard of companies using carbon offsetting solutions; for example, a tree gets planted to reduce emissions or absorb CO2 to compensate. What Polestar are proposing here, however, is different.  They have noted that in the long run this may not be the most sustainable method to combat the carbon foot print.

An imperative step in its journey is full transparency to its customers. A product sustainability declaration will be published for all Polestar models, in much the same way that your favourite fast food restaurant will note the calorie intake and ingredients used to make the product, consumers will now see a carbon foot print receipt for each Polestar made.  By 2030 this carbon receipt will be 0.

Other steps include running one of the most environmentally responsible car factories in China. The factory is powered by 100% renewable energy and is the only automotive plant in that country to have earned a Gold status in the globally recognised Leadership in Energy Design (LEED).

Polestar has also taken it one step further – the factory has no industrial water discharge and they operate on a circular approach to waste handling. A probably, inadvertent, effort to steal a march on the likes of Tesla, Ford, Mercedes et el in the EV manufacturing game.

“For Polestar, sustainability is not just about the electric powertrain. It impacts everything we do. We want to promote sustainable manufacturing in China. This objective entails a relentless pursuit of circular and climate-neutral solutions, and also being a responsible employer and presence in the area,” says Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar.

This innovative way of thinking shows that Polestar are not only taking responsibility for its vehicles, but also raising environmental awareness in the local community and far beyond. The approach also underlines the absolute need for the car makers of the world to not only promote sustainable motoring, but to also ensure that their respective EV playbooks include a section on “Do As We Do, Not Just As We Say”……