On the road to sustainability
(July 5, 2004) Hydro president and CEO, Eivind Reiten, today reiterated Hydro's dedication to making a difference towards a viable future at the release of the World Business Council for Sustainability Development's "Mobility 2030" report in Brussels.
"The report is important because the subject is so important," Reiten told gathered guests and members of the press.
"Mobility 2030" was developed by 12 global automotive and energy companies to assess the sustainability of their products and to envision the future of mobility - with a special focus on road transport. The WBCSD sponsored the project.
 GOING MOBILE: President and CEO Eivind Reiten is addressing the Mobility 2030 conference in Brussels. (Photo: Terje S. Knudsen) |
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"The ability to meet the needs of society to move freely, gain access, communicate, trade and establish relationships without sacrificing other essential human or ecological values today or in the future," Reiten said, paraphrasing the report. "This definition allowed us to identify a set of 12 indicators, giving everyone clear measurable objectives. In business, that's important."
Parts of the "Mobility 2030" report are difficult reading for some companies, he pointed out.
"Some of the project members do hold different views about the timescales and technology choices involved. This is hardly surprising. Many of the issues covered are highly controversial - like global warming and greenhouse gas emissions… and many are political - like traffic congestion, road pricing, access to transport, the role of government and the contribution form developing countries."
The 12 companies involved in the "Mobility 2030" project include Hydro, BP, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Michelin, Nissan, Renault, Shell, Toyota and Volkswagen.
The report says that mobility can be made sustainable, but it's beyond the capabilities of any one company, industry or country to resolve. Some mobility challenges may take up to 50 years to resolve, "but action should be started now!"
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