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The Zero Hour of the Automotive Industry
How far has the industry come in terms of climate protection, regulatory requirements, and electric mobility?
For decades, the automotive industry has been one of the most important economic sectors in Germany and throughout Europe. It ensures individual mobility. It secures jobs and provides a strong impetus for growth and innovation. As one of the flagship sectors of the German economy, however, it is also at the center of other debates—most notably on the topic of sustainability. In this regard, the automotive industry’s “zero hour” has already arrived.
Public expectations are rising dramatically. So is political pressure. Few economic sectors are considered as critical to climate protection as the automotive industry. But what does this lever actually look like? How far has the industry really come? And what will it be able—or even required—to achieve in the future? It is precisely these questions that Nils Lauer-Neff and Patrick Dohle of the management consulting firm Kemény Boehme & Company (KBC) have examined in detail in their article “The Zero Hour of the Automotive Industry.”
The white paper, "The Zero Hour of the Automotive Industry," addresses the following
To begin with, we’ll start by providing some background on climate policy. We’ll then explain why the automotive industry plays a central role when it comes to sustainability. After that, we’ll take a look at the legal targets that automakers must meet by 2020/21 and the extent to which these have been met so far. In this context, it is also interesting to examine the levers manufacturers have at their disposal to avoid potential fines for failing to meet their targets. Finally, we offer some food for thought on how the momentum around sustainability issues in the automotive industry could be sustained.
