“Apollo Tyres’ commitment to sustainable natural rubber is a positive step for the tyre industry and for the environment.
NEW DELHI (India CSR): Leading tyre manufacturer Apollo Tyres has announced that it will source 100% of its natural rubber from companies that have committed to sustainability throughout the supply chain.
The new initiative, which is part of Apollo Tyres’ Global Sustainability Strategy, applies to the supply of natural rubber to the company’s two European production facilities in the Netherlands and Hungary.
The new commitment has already led to significant changes in Apollo Tyres’ European supply chain, with the company establishing new natural rubber supply agreements with businesses that have sustainable sourcing or traceable-to-plantation policies.
As a result, all tyres produced at Apollo Tyres’ facilities in Europe, will now be made using natural rubber sourced from suppliers that have a commitment to the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) policy framework.
The GPSNR is an international, multi-stakeholder, voluntary membership organisation with a mission to lead improvements in the socio-economic and environmental impact of the natural rubber value chain.
The organisation has over 200 members representing more than 55% of the global natural rubber value chain, including tyre makers, automakers and raw material producers. Members such as Apollo Tyres are asked to commit to the vision and mission of the platform, as well as 12 sustainable natural rubber principles laid out in the Founding Member Statement and the GPSNR Policy Framework. These principles include legal compliance, human rights, community, product efficiency, supply chain traceability and policy.
“Global demand for tyres is on the rise, driven by increasing automobile sales and the growth of ride-hailing services, and we are determined to ensure that we – and the suppliers we rely upon – grow in a sustainable way,” says Benoit Rivallant, President and CEO of Apollo Tyres Europe. “Natural Rubber is an environment friendly raw material, but only if it’s sourced sustainably. It’s our job to work with companies across the value chain to ensure total transparency and help the tyre industry manage its environmental and societal impacts.”
In addition to supporting its own sustainability strategy, Apollo Tyres is using the GPSNR commitment to align with the environmental goals of its global customers, which includes a number of leading vehicle manufacturers with which it has original equipment supply agreements.
Apollo Tyres secures ISO 20400 certification
In its global sustainability journey, Apollo Tyres has also recently secured ISO 20400 certification, which defines requirements for sustainable procurement, including accountability, transparency, respect for human rights and ethical behaviour, and highlights key considerations such as risk management and priority setting.
The ISO 20400 provides guidelines to purchasing managers for incorporating sustainability into an organisation’s procurement processes. It integrates environmental, economic and social aspects into the procurement decision making ensuring that the sourcing of raw material, such as natural rubber, aligns with the standard to create an industry-wide culture of sustainability.
“We are committed to driving sustainability across our entire business, and the ISO 20400 certification is a significant milestone in our journey,” says Marco Mattiacci, Chief Sustainability Officer at Apollo Tyres. “We believe that sustainable procurement is essential to building a more sustainable future, and we are proud to be leading the way in this area.”
Apollo Tyres’ commitment to sustainable natural rubber is a positive step for the tyre industry and for the environment. The company’s efforts to source natural rubber from sustainable suppliers will help to reduce the environmental impact of the tyre industry and will help to protect the rights of workers and communities in the natural rubber supply chain.
