EIT Climate-KIC at the United Nations Climate Action Summit

EIT Climate-KIC and partners launche the Circular Cars Initiative at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. 

EIT Climate-KIC, the World Economic Forum and several partner organisations have unveiled an effort to radically reduce the automotive industry’s footprint: The Circular Cars Initiative.

Cars are responsible for 90 per cent of air pollution in cities and contain 1.4 tonnes of material on average. At the end of a vehicle’s life, little of this material is recovered and re-used. However, technological advances and environmental concerns are now driving a rapid transformation of individual mobility. 

The Circular Cars Initiative 

The initiative works towards transforming the industry through the lens of the circular economy and mobility-as-a-service.

The joint partners have three focus areas:

• Design for longevity through sharing and pooling concepts 
• Improved materials management
• Advanced re-manufacturing. 

The Circular Cars Initiative engages stakeholders along the automotive value chain. This includes material suppliers, fleet operators, re-manufacturers, recyclers, data platforms, and regulators. At its core, the initiative is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, with EIT Climate-KIC as a key partner. Technical support is provided by SystemIQ, an environmental services consultancy. Other key partners are chemical company, Lanxess, and LeasePlan, a world leading car-as-a-service company.