The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) and its Board of Directors have confirmed its proactive support for the EU environmental agenda, particularly those that are related to the inception, production, use and end-of-life of tyre and rubber products.
In this context, the decarbonisation of transport remains high on the agenda of ETRMA. The European tyre industry has taken a proactive approach and is engaged in reducing CO2 emissions through new and advanced tyre technologies whilst promoting road safety and other regulatory measures, such as the tyre label.
ETRMA’s Board has also confirmed its support to the efforts of the European Commission to reduce Heavy Duty Vehicle CO2 emissions. They also confirmed the continued efforts of the European tyre industry to improve the tyre rolling resistance coefficient by 1% on average per annum, which would result, by 2030, in a further reduction of 8.7 million tonnes of CO2, corresponding to removing emission equivalent of 81,000 40 tonne-trucks every year from the European roads.
Another area in which the industry is working proactively is the investigation of the fate and possible effects of tyre and road-wear particles generated during tyre use. The Board welcomed the launch of a study to further expand and deepen the knowledge on such particles in the environment. This activity builds on a wider 10-year-long work carried out by the Tire Industry Project, under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
“There are very different figures circulating on the impact of these particles on the environment” said the President of ETRMA, Christian Kötz, “for this reason, we decided to develop a complementary research project based on a novel approach which takes into consideration data already collected on the size and density of these particles and further looks at whether and how these are transferred to the aquatic environment”. The study is supported by an independent scientific advisory board – which has validated its approach and protocol – and should be completed before the end of 2017. Its results will also feed into the European Commission’s own investigation on micro-plastics.
“The Board meeting of today confirms the commitment of the tyre and rubber industry to sustainability, not just through its focus on environmental issues – some of which are mentioned above, but also looking at other important aspects such as the future of road transport, REACH refit, toxic-free secondary raw materials and drinking water legislation, just to mention a few”, concluded Cinaralp, Secretary General of ETRMA.