WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (WBCSD)

WBCSD is a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. Member companies come from all business sectors and all major economies, representing a combined revenue of more than USD $8.5 trillion and 19 million employees. WBCSD offers members the opportunity to participate in a number of programs and projects, including sector-specific projects such as the Tire Industry Project (TIP). Goodyear has been a member of WBCSD for over 15 years as part of TIP, and in 2020, joined the Digitalization and Data in Urban Mobility project.

DIGITALIZATION AND DATA IN URBAN MOBILITY

A WBCSD initiative, the Digitalization and Data in Urban Mobility project brings businesses and cities together to implement system-level and integrated initiatives to steer urban mobility systems transformation toward a safer, cleaner, more accessible and more efficient future. WBSCD members are guiding and scaling digital solutions and data exchange between the public and private sectors to lower carbon emissions, enhance safety and accessibility and reduce road congestion and pollution in cities. Goodyear committed to involvement in the project in 2020 and became a member in early 2021. We aim to understand how Goodyear’s beyond tires mobility strategy can contribute to and benefit from the opportunities and challenges stemming from the transformation of urban mobility.

TIRE INDUSTRY PROJECT (TIP)

Goodyear is a leader in the WBCSD‘s Tire Industry Project (TIP), formed in 2005 as a global, voluntary, CEO-led initiative undertaken by leading tire companies. Together, TIP member companies, representing approximately 65% of the world’s tire manufacturing capacity, work to anticipate, identify, analyze and address the potential human health and environmental impacts associated with tire development, use and management throughout the tire’s lifecycle.

TIP’s focus areas include materials and chemicals, tire and road wear particles (TRWP), end-of-life tire management, and tools and frameworks.

TIP member CEOs meet biennially to review project progress and approve a two-year work plan. The work plan is reviewed by an assurance group of independent scientists who provide guidance on the scientific relevance and robustness of planned work. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, TIP’s agenda remained a priority throughout 2021.

Some of TIP’s major accomplishments from the year include:

Tire and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) - TIP has been studying the potential impacts of TRWP on human health and the environment since 2005. The early research launched by TIP has been groundbreaking in terms of identification, quantification and risk assessment of TRWP in different environmental compartments, including air, soil, and sediments through the development of new sample collection methods and analytical techniques. As a result of this research TIP has published 15 peer-reviewed scientific studies on TRWP.

The topic of TRWP has been receiving increasing attention over the past several years from a large number of stakeholders, including international organizations, NGOs, governments and academic research institutions. As this group of stakeholders continues to expand, in addition to TIP, Goodyear participates as a member of regional tire trade associations (RTTAs), including the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA). The work with our regional associations involves advocacy and engaging with stakeholders to share tire industry research and expertise about TRWP, tires and tire-related materials.

In 2021, TIP continued commissioned research on TRWP conducted by independent research firms and consultants and guided by an advisory panel of academic experts. Recent research from TIP includes:

·       Analytical Method Development and Refinement

·       TRWP Aging Study

·       TRWP Ecotoxicity Study

·       TRWP Mass Balance Modeling

·       TRWP Field Sampling

Additionally in 2021, TIP launched a new website to share all TIP TRWP research and provide an accessible multimedia introduction to the topic.

Beyond our engagement on TRWP with TIP and the RTTAs, Goodyear also takes into consideration impacts of TRWP as they relate to the sustainability of our products.

End-of-Life Tires (ELT) - In 2021, TIP published End-of-Life (ELT) Management Toolkit, a guide to proven management systems to maximize collection and recycling of ELT in countries that do not have efficient programs in place. The toolkit outlines key steps for establishing and enhancing ELT management systems along with identifying the social, economic and environmental benefits of each system.

In 2021, TIP also organized stakeholder dialogues in Europe, the United States and China with regional participants from across the ELT value chain. The objectives were to promote and strengthen communication of the stakeholders; facilitate discussion and identify solutions for improved local-level ELT management; and maximize knowledge on ELT management along with identifying new research opportunities. TIP plans to release a report in 2022 describing the outcomes and lessons learned from these meetings.

Environmental Impacts – TIP published its 2021 report on environmental key performance indicators (KPIs) for tire manufacturing, noting overall maintained or improved performance at TIP member locations. The selected KPIs include energy use, CO2 emissions, water use and ISO 14001 certification at member company tire manufacturing operations.

In 2021, common methodology was developed among TIP members in order to include waste data as a fifth environmental KPI that will be included for the first time in the 2022 report. Additional work will be conducted to identify and integrate SDG-related KPIs to report progress highlighted in the Sustainability Driven: Accelerating Impact with the Tire Sector SDG Roadmap, available here.

GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RUBBER (GPSNR)

TIP members and other stakeholders, including automakers, rubber producers, other end users, and civil society, launched the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) in 2018 to move the natural rubber supply chain toward natural rubber sustainability.

In addition to being a GPSNR founding member, Goodyear continues to be an active GPSNR member, including being voted to the two-year seat on the Executive Committee representing the tiremaker category. Goodyear also continues to co-chair the Strategy & Objectives Working Group that completed the Environmental Risk Study and development of GPSNR’s Theory of Change. Goodyear prioritizes engagement directly within GPSNR Working Groups or indirectly as necessary, as GPSNR facilitates the natural rubber industry’s move towards a more sustainable supply chain. In 2021, GPSNR approved reporting requirements, under which members in the natural rubber value chain will report on their policy implementation progress, which Goodyear will complete in 2022.

COALITION FOR REIMAGINED MOBILITY (CRM)

The Coalition for Reimagined Mobility (CRM) brings together industry, government and academic leaders to shape policy for more equitable and sustainable solutions that leverage technology to improve the movement of people and goods around the world. CRM conducts research and advocacy to advance platforms that prioritize people while ensuring the wellbeing and security of the planet.

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY ACTION GROUP (AIAG)

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) is a unique non-profit organization where Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, service providers, government entities and academia have worked collaboratively for more than 38 years to drive down costs and complexity within the automotive supply chain. In 2019, Goodyear joined AIAG’s Corporate Responsibility Steering Committee (CRSC).

In 2021, the CRSC continued to raise awareness of emerging topics in the areas of environmental, human rights, sustainability and conflict minerals. It also continues to work to align reporting standards within the automotive industry.

THE CONFERENCE BOARD

As a nonpartisan entity founded in 1916, The Conference Board delivers insights to member organizations in such areas as sustainability, corporate philanthropy, social responsibility, education, and diversity and inclusion.

Goodyear is a member of The Conference Board’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Center and its Human Capital Center. We are involved in several councils and working groups as a part of these engagements.

Within the ESG Center, Goodyear participates in the Product Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs Council, which allows us to exchange ideas and best practices about product-related regulatory, compliance and responsibility matters with peers from other companies and industries. We also have representation in Sustainability Council 1: Strategy & Implementation, which is composed of companies that strive to track, manage and reduce their environmental and social footprints in their operations and across their supply chains.

As part of the Human Capital Center, we are also a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council, which delivers insights to help members optimize and enhance diversity and inclusion.

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

We explore, and work collectively, to improve various tire-related sustainability topics through our membership in several RTTAs, including USTMA and ETRMA. In 2021, USTMA released a climate vision update and completed a sustainability materiality assessment.

ETRMA launched the European Tyre and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) Platform in 2018 with support from CSR-Europe. The Platform has created an open and inclusive dialogue among relevant stakeholders, including policymakers, industry, NGOs and academia. The Platform published two reports in its first year and ETRMA, USTMA and TIP are taking actions, including sponsoring research and collaboration, to help the industry and society better understand and respond to questions raised regarding TRWP.