D’Ieteren’s net-zero climate ambitions ‘scientifically approved’

Belgium’s 218-year-old and most significant ‘car importer,’ D’Ieteren, has officially checked and approved its net-zero greenhouse emission targets for 2030 and 2050. These targets align with the scientific criteria for achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. The targets were ratified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

That includes a 42% reduction by 2030, compared to 2023, of the company’s direct and indirect emissions, mainly due to the energy consumption of its buildings and its own fleet, as well as emissions primarily due to the use of the vehicles it sells.

80% of all cars sold electric

The latter will be a challenge, as D’Ieteren Automotive distributes Volkswagen brands in Belgium, including some notorious luxury brands that aren’t the most ‘environmentally friendly’. It wants 80% of all cars it sells to be electric by 2030.

The company distributes Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Rimac, Microlino, and Porsche alongside spare parts and accessories. There are around 1.2 million VW-branded vehicles on the road, which represents a leading market share of 22.5%. Passenger road transportation is currently responsible for 12% of Belgian CO2 emissions.

The state of the planet is critical

“Electrification and using renewable energy are essential to reduce CO2e emissions by 2030 drastically,” D’Ieteren emphasizes. “This is why D’Ieteren is committed to a large-scale electrification of its new vehicle sales, complemented by a range of products and services for charging (EDI) and solar production (Go Solar).”

Denis Gorteman, CEO of D’Ieteren, says, “Mobility is at the heart of economic and social challenges, and, as a major player in Belgium, we also want to make it a lever for environmental challenges.”

“The state of the planet is critical, and it is irresponsible to ignore it. In recent years, we have expanded our portfolio of mobility solutions to support the transition to low-carbon mobility. Today, it is necessary to accelerate that transformation and optimize the management of resources. While real progress has already been made, the challenges remain huge, and we are determined to meet them.”

The validated targets include a second valet for 2050, also targeting the carbon footprint of the total life cycle of the cars D’Ieteren sells and efforts to recycle as much as possible. “Think out of the box,” D’Ieteren says in a video explaining its climate plan. “We refurbish phones, why not cars?”

Refurbishing cars in the former Audi plant?

Eventually, D’Ieteren took an option on the Brussels Audi factory, which is to close its doors in February 2025 to ‘refurbish’ used cars for the second-hand market. But Audi hasn’t retained that bid.

It would be back-to-basics for D’Ieteren, which used to own that factory. From 1954 to more than twenty years later, more than 1.1 million Belgian-made Beetles were made there. Later, the factory was sold to Volkswagen and passed on to Audi.

Officially, the plans for 2030 and beyond are described as: “A 90% reduction by 2050, compared to 2023, in the company’s direct and indirect emissions and those related to the production, use, and end-of-life of the products and services sold. Carbon capture and storage technologies will neutralize the remaining 10% of emissions.”

At the same time, D’Ieteren says it aims to accelerate the development of its low-carbon activities in the sectors related to cycling (Lucien, Joule), shared mobility (Poppy, TaxisVerts) and also micromobility (Microlino), to offer flexible and accessible transport solutions that meet the specific needs of urban mobility.

A vow for the world to see

By having its ambitions ‘checked’ and ‘scientifically’ approved by an internationally respected independent body, D’Ieteren says it is taking a big step forward in its commitment to climate action. It is making a vow for the world to see, and it holds the company accountable.

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). It has a global team of over 130 staff and hubs in Germany, Mexico, the UK, and the USA.

The initiative supports companies in setting their greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in accordance with the best scientific evidence and the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2030. Unfortunately, scientific studies show that that threshold has been met for the first time this year, and the trend shows further warming ahead.