e-Mobility, a BMW sustainability initiative for 2012

The BMW Group announced three major sustainability initiatives at the BMW Group Sustainable Future Conference held in Durban, South Africa. The conference was held as a side event to the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

BMW South Africa MD, Bodo Donauer, announced three major initiatives of taking local action for a global goal in terms of climate change. "The BMW Group will reinforce its position as the world's most sustainable automaker by becoming the first manufacturer to bring e-mobility to South African roads," Donauer said. "We will give our customers the opportunity to experience the Mini E at a series of countrywide road shows in the first half of 2012," he continued.

Not only will these road shows provide the BMW Group with important information about local customer's e-mobility requirements, but they will also highlight some of the infrastructural hurdles South Africa needs to overcome to adopt e-mobility as a viable means of reducing CO² emissions.

Dr. Rainer Feurer, BMW vice president of corporate strategy, planning and environment said: "Sustainability throughout the entire value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to resource conservation go hand in hand with the success of the BMW Group. We are acting in a sustainable and responsible way in all areas - worldwide and also here in South Africa."

Rosslyn plant to use renewable energy

In South Africa, the company has almost halved energy usage and emissions at their plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, saving more than R50-million in energy costs since 2006. "However, we believe we can do more and have conducted a Renewable Energy Project investigating the technical and economic feasibility of supplying the Rosslyn plant solely by means of renewable energy, or in combination with the existing power supply," announced Donauer. "We will take further steps in this regard by partnering with the City of Tshwane on a waste-to-energy project next year."

The project is similar to a landfill gas programme which is responsible for providing the BMW Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, USA with around half of its energy requirements. Methane gas - converted from unusable organic waste at a landfill site in Onderstepoort - will be piped approximately 8km to Rosslyn. Depending on the quantity supplied, the gas will be used to either produce electricity via gas generators or supplement the usage of natural gas in the production process, a resource which contributes approximately 50% to the company's energy consumption.

BMW reaches out to schools

The conference continued by focusing on all three aspects of sustainability - economic, environmental and social - when it announced a major corporate social responsibility engagement in KwaZulu-Natal. The company's successful BMW Maths, Science and Technology Excellence Project will be implemented in two high- and three primary schools in the Nyavini district south of Durban.

These schools will also be incorporated into the BMW SEED (School Environmental Educational Development) Programme, which teaches learners about a sustainable lifestyle including farming techniques, taking care of their surroundings and entrepreneurial skills. As a positive side-effect, produce from the SEED gardens will ensure learners receive at least one nutritious meal each day.

Finally, in a public-private partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, BMW will construct an HIV and AIDS clinic in the Nyavini district. The clinic will also provide basic health care to the community, which is situated some 50km from the nearest hospital.

Source: bizcommunity.com