Michelin Advocates Responsible Management of All Resources

Mar 20, 2015 5:00 PM ET

Michelin advocates responsible management of all resources

On March 22, World Water Day will be celebrated across every continent. Although Michelin does not actually use that much water, the company wished to support this global event to reassert its corporate environmental principles notably with regard to mitigating the impact of its products and manufacturing activities on the environment.

Supporting responsible manufacturing

Setting the industry standard for responsible manufacturing is number two in the Group’s 6 ambitions for 2020 . This is expressed in the following objectives:

  • Achieve a 40% reduction in the environmental impact of our industrial sites*
  • Promote responsible logistics and reduce our supply chain CO2 emissions by 10% compared to 2010
  • Evaluate the Group's top 400 suppliersand give them the support necessary for 70% of them to attain the level of Michelin standards.
Michelin’s water conservation actions

Between 2005 and 2014, Michelin slashed its water use by 26% per tonne of finished products manufactured and the Group will continue its efforts in 2015 thanks to the development of a new method for evaluating water usage. Already tested on 5 sites in Europe and North America, it will be applied by 6 other industrial sites in North America, Europe and Asia in 2015.

Wastewater and effluent treatment is a priority at the Group’s plant in Chennai, India. After an ultrafiltration stage, the water is recycled either for domestic use by the local population or to irrigate green spaces depending on its purity.

A “Water Expert Team” will be on hand to help Michelin meet its commitment to sustainable resource management by progressively taking into account the synergies between water, energy and biodiversity.

“Feeding the planet, energy for life”

The 2015 Universal Exposition will open in Milan, Italy on May 1.  Expo Milano 2015’s theme “Feeding the planet, energy for life” is in total resonance with one of sustainable development principles defended by World Water Day: encourage people to protect natural resources to ensure a better energy supply.

Michelin will be partnering with New Holland for this coming event, testifying once again to its commitment to sustainable development and responsible management of all resources.

* measured by the Michelin Environmental Footprint (MEF)