SP Member News Roundup – May 2022

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 May 2022 highlighting efforts of SP member companies and partners to advance initiatives with positive environmental impact.

• Bosch to invest billions in climate-neutral technology. Bosch announced it will be investing some three billion euros over three years in climate-neutral technology such as electrification and hydrogen. Read more.
• Circulor awarded Technology Pioneer by World  Economic Forum. Circulor was chosen from hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”. Read more.
• Cox Foundation Donates $30 Million for BeltLine. The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., and the PATH Foundation announced a $30 million donation from the James M. Cox Foundation that will provide the remaining philanthropic funding needed to complete the Northwest BeltLine trails. More than a redevelopment project that will ultimately connect 45 neighborhoods within Atlanta, the Atlanta BeltLine is working to create a more inclusive and equitable community through the creation of trails and parks.  Read more.
• Natron collaborates with Clarios on world’s first mass manufacturing of sodium-ion batteries. Natron Energy, Inc. and Clarios International Inc. have jointly announced a strategic agreement to manufacture sodium-ion batteries. The Clarios Meadowbrook facility will become the world’s largest sodium-ion battery plant when mass production begins in 2023. Read more.
• Edison Energy partners with Sawatch Labs to guide organizations on vehicle electrification for fleets. Edison Energy has partnered with Sawatch Labs to help corporate fleet owners save money and achieve Net Zero goals quicker, as they choose which vehicles to switch from gasoline and diesel to electric power. Read more.
• Ford Joins First Movers Coalition, Announces Commitment To Help Commercialize Zero-Carbon Technologies. Ford Motor Company announced it will join the First Movers Coalition, a global initiative to harness purchasing power and supply chains to create early markets for innovative clean energy technologies. Read more.
• Henkel launches new fire protection solutions for safer EV batteries.  Henkel has launched two new protective coating products designed to shield the battery housings against heat and fire in the case of a thermal runaway event – Loctite EA 9400 and Loctite FPC 5060. When applied to battery packs, the coatings help to inhibit and delay the spread of fires to protect the passengers as they evacuate the vehicle. Read more.
• Honda Issues First-Ever Inclusion & Diversity Report. As part of Honda’s efforts to promote equality in its workforce and society, the company released its inaugural Inclusion & Diversity Report: “Living Our Values.” The report outlines Honda’s commitments to advancing inclusion and diversity and shares recent actions the company has taken, including key initiatives within its workforce and the communities where its associates live and work. Read more.
• Li-Cycle and Glencore Announce Global Strategic Partnership. Li-Cycle announced a strategic partnership with Glencore plc.  The strategic partnership will better serve the EV battery supply chain by providing customers with an integrated approach for their primary and recycled metal needs. Read more.
• Manufacture 2030 and Edison Energy announce strategic partnership to help drive supplier decarbonization. Manufacture 2030 and Edison Energy have established a strategic partnership to help companies across the value chain reduce emissions and meet their carbon reduction targets with confidence. Read more.
• Manufacture 2030 Awarded as Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum. Manufacture 2030 was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”. Read more.
• PwC and Sphera Announce Alliance to Help Rapidly Scale Implementation of ESG Management Platform. PwC and Sphera announced an alliance to rapidly scale implementation of Sphera’s ESG software platform and solutions. Read more.
• Stellantis and Samsung SDI to Invest Over $2.5 Billion in Joint Venture for Lithium-Ion Battery Production Plant in United States. Stellantis N.V. and Samsung SDI announced that they have executed binding, definitive agreements to establish an electric-vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, U.S. Targeted to start in 2025, the plant aims to have an initial annual production capacity of 23 gigawatt hours (GWh), with an aim to increase to 33 GWh in the next few years. Read more.
• Univar Solutions to Significantly Increase On-Site Renewable Energy Capacity, through Partnership with Sustainable Solutions Provider Motive Energy. Univar Solutions Inc. announced it will install 1020kW of solar capacity and an ESS with total energy capacity of 375kW/753kWh at its City of Commerce, CA facility in partnership with Motive Energy. This partnership marks a further investment by Univar Solutions in on-site renewable energy generation capacity, having recently completed solar projects at other global facilities in Europe and Latin America. Read more.
• New Guidance on Carbon Neutrality Terms & Definitions. The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) announced the publication of a new guidance document, “Carbon Neutrality Terms & Definitions”. The purpose of this new document is to provide additional guidance to automotive suppliers on terms and definitions related to the topic of carbon neutrality to further support the supply chain in implementing carbon reduction and reporting programs aligned with common industry expectations. Read more.
• New Guidance for Evaluating the Carbon Intensity of Materials Used in Automotive Products. The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) and the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) announced the publication of a new guidance document, “Evaluating the Carbon Intensity of Materials Used in Automotive Products.” The purpose of the guidance document is to introduce the concept of carbon intensity and outline a straightforward and consistent approach for evaluating carbon intensity information for materials used in automotive products. Read more.
• Suppliers Partnership for the Environment, in Collaboration with Call2Recycle, Releases EV Battery Transportation Regulatory Guide. The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) announced the publication of a new guidance document, “Regulations Governing Shipment of Electric Vehicle (EV) Batteries in the U.S.”, in collaboration with Call2Recycle, a North American leader in battery collection and recycling. The guidance document identifies current U.S. EV battery transportation regulations by chemistry (lithium-ion vs. nickel-metal hydride), by state of health (end-of-life vs. damaged-defective-recalled), and by mode of transportation (land / rail, air, or sea), and then links those regulations to types of shipping containers permitted for use. Read 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.