Managing our lifecycle impacts

The lifecycle of every Scania product has a number of stages, beginning at research and development and running all the way through to end-of-life. By integrating responsible business practices at each of these stages, we can minimise social and environmental impacts across our products’ full life cycle.

Scania invests around SEK 7.2 bn in R&D, and an increasing part of that investment focuses on making the transport system safer and more sustainable for society as a whole. We’re also focused on understanding and managing the impact of the materials our products are made of. This includes promoting a circular approach in our designs, as high-quality solutions as possible for as long as possible but also ensuring that more of the materials and components we use are recycled and recyclable.

With more than 1,000 direct and 10,000 indirect suppliers, managing our sourcing impacts calls for a structured approach. Scania requires its suppliers, to for example maintain high social and labour standards for their employees, while minimising their environmental impact. We work with our suppliers to help them improve their sustainability performance through customised audits and training. We also work together in partnerships, to improve for example traceability of material. This area will be increasingly important going forward, as new technologies such as electrification may increase our environmental and social sourcing impact.

Scania has an extensive logistical network including inbound flows (materials and parts coming to Scania from our suppliers), and outbound flows (Scania vehicles and components being delivered to customers all over the world). Promoting responsible transport buying is part of our core business, and we aim to lead by example and set the benchmark for sustainable logistics. We are committed to continuously improving our logistical flows to eliminate waste, improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, while also working to promote fair working conditions for drivers.

Scania produces hundreds of vehicles every day and has around 19,000 people working in our production facilities worldwide. We operate according to the Scania Production System, which drives us to reduce the environmental impact of production by using energy efficiently, reducing CO2 emissions, minimising waste and managing chemicals and water resources responsibly. We’re committed to ensuring that our production facilities are safe, healthy environments to work in.

Our sales staff work with our customers to ensure that their vehicles are optimised for their specific transport assignment and to address the products’ environmental impact. This includes offering a non-diesel product option in every quotation, where possible. The sustainable transport solutions we provide are based on three pillars: energy efficiency, renewable fuels and electrification, and smart and safe transport.

The emissions produced by Scania’s products during their use represent their biggest life cycle impact, accounting for 96% of our total carbon footprint across our value chain. We’re focused on driving down the carbon footprint of our vehicles while they are in use through energy efficient drivetrains, promoting the adoption of renewable fuels, and introducing cleaner technology such as electrification. We also provide training for drivers on energy-efficient driving techniques that further reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

A well-maintained vehicle performs more efficiently and has fewer environmental impacts. More than 12,000 employees work in our service network and through services such as Scania Flexible Maintenance, we are helping tens of thousands of customers to maximise their uptime and to be as efficient as possible in their operations. Scania Zone gives traffic-planners and drivers the ability to pre-programme vehicles to follow local traffic regulations automatically, improving efficiency and road safety. Other Scania services support our circular approach – for example, by giving faulty or worn parts a second life through remanufacturing.

Scania aims to promote a circular life cycle, where parts and materials from Scania products at the end of their life are reused and recycled. We provide guidelines for end-of-life treatment and dismantling to help us close the loop. Remanufacturing, the collection of faulty or worn parts which are remade and sold again, also plays a key role moving forward.