BERLIN -- BMW plans to reduce carbon emissions across the life cycle of its vehicles, including the production process, by at least 40 percent from 2019 levels by 2030.
The new goal is up from a previous target of a reduction of a third.
To achieve this, the Munich-based automaker intends to increase the proportion of recycled and reusable materials used in manufacturing its vehicles to 50 percent from 30 percent, the company said in a statement Thursday.
"We are committed to a clear course to achieve the 1.5-degree target," CEO Oliver Zipse said, referring to the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change.
BMW on Thursday teased the i Vision Circular concept car that it will unveil at the Munich auto show on Monday. It said the 100-per cent recyclable car "embodies the company's claim to be the most sustainable manufacturer for individual premium mobility."
As the industry pivots to selling only electric cars, BMW has been reluctant to set a hard deadline for phasing out fossil-fuel cars, pointing out limitations to the expansion of battery-powered vehicles including the lack of charging infrastructure across the EU and elsewhere.
Still, the automaker has set a range of sustainability targets in the past, including generating at least half of BMW Group sales from electric vehicles by 2030 and reducing CO2 emissions per vehicle and kilometer driven by at least half from 2019 levels in the same time frame.
Like its competitors, BMW has warned that its revenues in coming months could be plagued by chip shortages and raw material prices, despite reporting stronger than expected profits in its latest quarterly results.
