Breakthrough for more sustainable rubber production.

Munich. In conjunction with representatives of social
institutions, NGOs and the rubber processing industry, the BMW Group
established the independent Global
Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber
(GPSNR) at an inaugural
meeting in Singapore in March. The aim is to make the entire rubber
value chain verifiably sustainable. The automotive industry is one of
the world’s largest consumers of natural rubber.

 

Rubber is made from the latex milk collected from rubber trees. In
most cases, cultivation takes place in monocultures in Southeast Asia,
across an area spanning more than eight million hectares. Over 80
percent of natural rubber is grown on very small farms – making it
difficult to monitor social and environmental growing conditions.

 

The BMW Group only purchases natural rubber indirectly. However,
since transparency and sustainability throughout the value chain are
an integral part of the company’s philosophy, it has taken steps over
the years requiring greater sustainability from tyre manufacturers.
The BMW Group alone needs around 24,000 tons of natural rubber per
year for vehicle tyres.

 

All GPSNR founding members have also committed to improve social and
environmental conditions for cultivation and urge their business
partners towards more sustainability. Additional measures will be
implemented to combat deforestation and ensure greater supply chain transparency.

 

The Global Platform for Sustainable
Natural Rubber
was initiated by the CEOs of the Tyre
Industry Project (TIP)
, a forum created by the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
. Over 200
of the world’s leading companies work together in the WBCDS to drive
progress in the field of sustainable development. More than 40
organisations and institutions are currently participating in the
GPSNR – primarily tyre manufacturers, suppliers, the automotive
industry and NGOs committed to the environment and improving working
conditions at international level. The BMW Group is the only
automobile company also represented on the Executive Committee.