Report on Carbon Footprint Reduction Initiatives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Footprint

Since 2010, a strategic initiative has been underway to reduce the product carbon footprint, measured in grams of CO2 per kWh. This metric encompasses the total life cycle CO2-equivalent emissions of a complete wind plant. The assessment framework is comprehensive, covering:

• Raw Material Extraction
• Manufacturing Processes
• Transportation and Logistics
• Service and Operation
• End-of-Life Decommissioning

Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are systematically employed to measure and validate the CO2 footprint of all products, ensuring data-driven progress and transparency.

Contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The carbon reduction efforts directly support several key UN Sustainable Development Goals, integrating sustainability into core operational and design strategies.

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: By reducing the embodied carbon in wind energy infrastructure, the overall sustainability of clean energy generation is enhanced, making it a more viable and environmentally sound power source.
2. SDG 13: Climate Action: The primary objective of cutting the product carbon footprint is a direct contribution to combating climate change. Reducing emissions throughout the product life cycle mitigates the environmental impact of essential energy infrastructure.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The focus on the entire product life cycle, from raw materials to end-of-life, embodies the principles of responsible production. Reducing material requirements per kWh demonstrates a commitment to resource efficiency and sustainable consumption patterns.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Continuous design optimisation and supply-chain enhancements represent an ongoing investment in sustainable industrial innovation. This fosters the development of resilient and sustainable infrastructure critical for a low-carbon future.

Summary of Achievements (2011-2019)

Between 2011 and 2019, established targets for CO2 footprint reduction were successfully met. These significant reductions were achieved through a multi-faceted approach focused on efficiency and innovation.

Primary Drivers of Reduction:

• Design Optimisation: Engineering advancements led to more efficient designs that generate more power with a lower environmental impact.
• Material Efficiency: A targeted reduction in material requirements per kWh decreased the embodied carbon associated with raw material extraction and processing.
• Supply-Chain Management: Strategic improvements within the supply chain minimised emissions related to manufacturing and transportation.

Detailed data and further analysis are available in the organisation’s official Sustainability Reports and product-specific Life Cycle Assessments.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article discusses wind plants, which are a primary source of clean and renewable energy. Vestas’ core business of manufacturing wind turbines directly contributes to increasing the availability of clean energy.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The text highlights “design optimisation” and reducing material use as key strategies. This points to innovation within the industry to create more sustainable infrastructure and industrial processes.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The article’s focus on the “entire life cycle” of the product, including “raw materials, manufacture, transport, service and operation, and end-of-life,” directly addresses sustainable production patterns. The effort to reduce the “product carbon footprint” and “material requirements per kWh” aligns with the goal of sustainable management of resources.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The central theme of the article is the effort to “cut our product carbon footprint” and reduce “CO2-equivalent emissions.” This is a direct action to combat climate change and its impacts by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from industrial products.

Specific Targets and Indicators

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Vestas’ business of producing wind turbines directly supports the achievement of this target by increasing the capacity for renewable energy generation.
2. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
   • The article mentions that CO2 reductions were achieved through “design optimisation” and “reducing material requirements per kWh,” which are clear examples of retrofitting industrial processes for sustainability and resource efficiency.
3. Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
   • The statement about “reducing material requirements per kWh” directly corresponds to the goal of using natural resources more efficiently in production.
4. Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
   • The article explicitly mentions the use of “life cycle assessments (LCAs)” and the availability of “Sustainability Reports,” demonstrating the company’s adoption of sustainable practices and transparent reporting.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Target 9.4 (CO2 emission per unit of value added):
   • The article explicitly states the metric used is “grams CO2 per kWh.” This is a specific indicator that measures the carbon emissions per unit of energy produced, directly reflecting the carbon efficiency of their product.
2. Indicator for Target 12.2 (Material footprint):
   • The phrase “reducing material requirements per kWh” is a direct proxy for measuring and lowering the material footprint of the product. It indicates a conscious effort to use fewer raw materials for the same energy output.
3. Indicator 12.6.1 (Number of companies publishing sustainability reports):
   • The article implies this indicator by stating, “For more details, please find a link to our Sustainability Reports below.” This confirms that Vestas is a company that publishes such reports, contributing to the total count for this indicator.

Summary Table

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators’ to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: vestas.com