SP Member News Roundup – April 2023

SP provides a forum for global automotive manufacturers, their large and small suppliers, the US EPA and other government entities from around the world to work together toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact.

This monthly series collects recent news and updates through April 2023 highlighting efforts of SP member companies and partners to advance initiatives with positive environmental impact.

• Arkema decarbonizes on its Lacq/Mourenx site, Arkema’s Lacq/Mourenx platform specializes in the chemistry of specialty sulfur derivatives and has a unit whose manufacturing process produces nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide. Thanks to the successful commissioning of a new innovative process, the Lacq/Mourenx site will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28%. Learn More.
• Battery Pass Consortium Publishes First Content Guidance on the EU Battery Passport, A consortium of eleven international organizations from industry, technology and science – including SP member Circulor – has launched the Content Guidance on the EU Battery Passport. It is designed to support the implementation of the battery passport as mandated by the new EU Battery Regulation in a way that is feasible for industry players while guaranteeing the environmental and economic benefits of a digital product passport. Learn More.
• Cirba Solutions Announces Agreement with Honda to Collaborate Toward Sourcing Sustainable EV Battery Materials in North America, Cirba Solutions announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Honda for Cirba Solutions to collaborate toward collection, processing and returning recycled critical battery materials to be used as raw material feedstock for the manufacturer’s products, including future electric vehicles and other products. Learn More.
• Eaton and Sunverge expand strategic collaboration to help utilities manage residential EV charging infrastructure, Intelligent power management company Eaton and Sunverge, the provider of distributed energy resource control, orchestration and aggregation platform, announced expanded collaboration to enable dynamic utility management of home electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Learn More.
• FigBytes Unveils All-in-One Sustainability Platform, FigBytes announced the latest version of FigBytes Sustainability Platform which features new solutions and capabilities for climate accounting and climate action, enhanced water stewardship features, new reporting options, integrations, upgraded back-end, and an enhanced user interface and improved user experience. Learn More.
• FigBytes Enhances Its Sustainability Platform with Carbon Removal Leader Patch,  FigBytes announced its partnership with Patch. The partnership simplifies climate accounting and action programs, ensuring that organizations can easily manage their carbon credit transactions as part of their comprehensive carbon emissions reduction strategy. Learn More.
• Ford Releases 2023 Integrated Sustainability and Financial Report, Details Progress Toward Carbon Neutrality and Commitment to Responsible EV Supply Chain, Ford released its 2023 Integrated Sustainability and Financial Report, detailing the company’s progress on its commitment to create a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable transportation future. Learn More.
• General Motors Releases 2022 Sustainability Report Detailing Progress Toward an Electric Future for Everyone, General Motors released its 2022 Sustainability Report, focused on the company’s progress toward its vision of an all-electric future, including highlights around investments to rapidly scale EV production capacity, partnerships to improve the sustainability of GM’s supply chain, and efforts made to secure the renewable energy needed to power its U.S. sites by 2025. Learn More.
• GM Leads $50 Million Funding Round in EnergyX to Unlock U.S.-Based Lithium Supply for Rapidly Scaling EV Production, Energy Exploration Technologies Inc. (“EnergyX”) and General Motors Co. announced that GM Ventures is leading a $50 million Series B financing round in EnergyX, and has entered into a strategic agreement to develop EnergyX’s lithium extraction and refinery technology. Learn More.
• Gentherm Releases 2022 Sustainability Report, Gentherm published its 2022 Sustainability Report. The 2022 Sustainability Report highlights Gentherm’s key areas of focus: People, Planet and Places, and provides updates on previously established environmental performance metrics. Learn More.
• Gentherm Completes Sustainability Study with Fraunhofer Institute, Gentherm recently partnered with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institute for a sustainability study to demonstrate how the mechanical structuring process utilized by Gentherm for manufacturing flexible printed circuits reduces CO2 emissions and water consumption significantly when compared to conventional chemical etching manufacturing. Learn More.
• Glencore, FCC, and Iberdrola partner to provide lithium-ion battery circularity solutions for Spain and Portugal, Glencore, FCC Ámbito and Iberdrola are pleased to announce their intention to partner to provide lithium-ion battery recycling solutions at scale for Spain and Portugal. Learn More.
• Goodpack signs MOU with Klean Industries and CEVA Logistics to Join Forces in Creating Circular Solutions for End-of-Life Tires, Goodpack announced that it has executed a Memorandum of Understanding with CEVA Logistics, a third-party logistics and Klean Industries Inc, a provider of technologies and solutions to collaborate on the development of a fully holistic supply chain that produces the global solution for end-of-life tires. Learn More.
• Honda and the Honda USA Foundation Award more than $2.7 Million to Advance Environmental Sustainability and Conservation Activities, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation announced more than $2.7 million in funding to a variety of environmental education and conservation initiatives across the U.S. Learn More.
• Impossible Metals Reveals Their Roadmap to Developing the Best Available Technology for Deep Sea Mining, Impossible Metals reveals its roadmap for the harvesting of polymetallic nodules from the seabed with the best Environmental Social Governance (ESG) performance and the lowest costs. Learn More.
• VinES and Li-Cycle Announce Strategic, Long-Term Battery Recycling Agreement, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. and VinES Energy Solutions are pleased to announce that they have signed a definitive agreement for a long-term recycling relationship. Learn More.
• Li-Cycle Wins 2023 Bloomberg New Energy Finance Pioneers Award, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a winner for the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Pioneers Award for 2023. Li-Cycle was recognized in the ‘Sustainable Metals and Materials for an Electrified Future’ category of the BNEF Pioneers Award for its patented and proven commercial Spoke & Hub Technologies™. Learn More.
• Magna International 2022 Sustainability Report, Magna is committed to protecting our environment and contributing to a better society. Our promise to become carbon neutral in our European operations by 2025 and globally by 2030 is just the start. Learn More.
• Magna planning new $100M Auburn Hills EV seating plant with 500 jobs, Magna International Inc. is planning a new plant in Auburn Hills that would supply seats for future General Motors Co. electric vehicles, the Canadian auto supplier said. Learn More.
• Princeton NuEnergy Taps Top Scientists to Transform Patented LIB Direct Recycling Technology to Upcycling, Princeton NuEnergy Inc. is teaming up with scientists from Argonne National Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, and UC Irvine to officially launch its $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy EERE aimed at accelerating total battery recycling efficiency and commercializing PNE’s upcycling technology to upgrade battery material performance. Learn More.
• Ricardo develops tool to improve the assessment of chemical persistence in the environment, Ricardo has developed a first of its kind Persistence Assessment Tool to provide manufacturers and importers of chemical substances and products, regulators, and the scientific community with support and guidance to undertake complex persistence assessments of chemicals in the environment. Learn More.
• Stellantis on Track to Reach Bold Social and Environmental Targets, Stellantis released its second Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report delivering on its commitments and confirming dedicated focus to reaching its public social and environmental targets. Learn More.
• Governor Lee, Commissioner McWhorter Announce 6K Energy to Establish Battery Material Manufacturing Plant In Jackson, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter and 6K Energy officials announced the company will invest in a full-scale PlusCAM™ battery material manufacturing plant in Jackson, Tennessee. 6K Energy will invest $166 million in the plant for construction and equipment, expanding to $250 million in future phases. Learn More.
• Stellantis Finalizing eFuel Testing on 28 Engine Families to Support Decarbonization of ICE Fleet on the Road, Stellantis confirmed it is finalizing testing of eFuels on 28 engine families to help accelerate the carbon emissions reduction potential of the 28 million Stellantis internal combustion engines (ICE) built since 2014 (Euro 6) in Europe, while remaining committed to selling only BEV passenger cars in the region by the end of the decade. Learn More.
• Toyota ‘Empact’ Vision Addresses Sustainability, EV Charging Equity in Underserved Communities, Following its guiding principles of “Mobility for All” and leaving no one behind, Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (Toyota) announced “Empact,” a new vision to aid the transition of underserved communities to a future of electrified mobility. Learn More.
• Collaborating for Clean Energy at Toyota’s North Alabama Engine Plant, More than 70 percent of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama’s power will soon be generated by the sun. Huntsville Utilities, Toyota Alabama and Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. announced a power purchase agreement to support a 168-acre, $49 million solar project. Learn More.
• ExxonMobil and Toyota Team Up to Test Fuels with a Lower Carbon Footprint, ExxonMobil is exploring innovative fuel blends with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transportation up to 75% compared to conventional fuels available today. Toyota has determined that these innovative formulas are compatible with older vehicles as well as its current model line-up. Learn More.
• Toyota North America on Path to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy for Michigan Operations Through DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower Program, Toyota Motor North America and DTE Energy announced Toyota’s enrollment in MIGreenPower, DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program. Toyota’s participation puts all of TMNA’s Research and Development operations in Michigan on a path to attribute 100% of their electricity use to renewable energy projects starting in 2026. Learn More.
• VLS Environmental Solutions celebrates Earth Day with release of its 2022 ESG Report, VLS Environmental Solutions, LLC, published its VLS 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report on its corporate website. Learn More.
• Automotive News: Auto industry is buckling down to decarbonize everything, Automakers and suppliers for years have been devising action plans, collaborating on best practices and setting ambitious but measurable targets as they aim to reduce and eventually eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from their manufacturing operations and supply base. Learn more.

SP members may send their environmental sustainability news to info@supplierspartnership.org for consideration in future news roundups. And, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest SP news and updates.