Kia announces reduction in its carbon footprint

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Kia Motors has announced that the brand’s global vehicle production was greener and more sustainable in 2013 than at any point in the brand’s history – despite growing sales and production levels around the world.

 

Kia’s year-on-year global sales grew by 1.4 per cent in 2013 to 2,746,643 units, yet an ongoing focus on improving sustainability across the brand’s manufacturing facilities has led to a smaller environmental footprint.

 

Across the brand’s three major vehicle manufacturing facilities in Korea – Hwasung, Sohari and Gwangju – a focus on recycling, employee initiatives, greater investment, reducing unit waste and heat capture technology has yielded reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption and waste materials. Combined, these three facilities produced 1.31 million cars in 2013 – around 46 per cent of Kia Motors’ total global production – and 1.26 million engines.

 

In 2013, Kia’s Korean plants increased production by 12,947 units, yet saw a 4.7 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per unit produced (29.4 kg per car), and a total drop of 30,507 tons to 788,000 tons. The total CO2 reductions in 2013 amounts to the annual carbon intake of around 30.44 million pine trees.

 

Total energy consumption was also reduced by 3.7 per cent (618 terajoules) to 15,930 terajoules.

 

Kia has also announced its intention to achieve ISO 50001 certification across all global production facilities.

 

In 2013, Kia Motors’ total water consumption at the Hwasung, Sohari and Gwangju plants decreased by 305,000 m3 from the previous year to 6.17 million m3 – a 30 per cent drop since 2003.

 

2013 saw a 3.6 per cent year-on-year reduction in waste output, with 8,399 fewer tons of waste produced than in 2012 – a reduction in waste for each Kia model manufactured in Korea.

 

 

Mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford, works with Kia Motors UK, providing a bespoke mystery shopping and customer experience programme, to include telephone mystery shopping, electronic mystery shopping and video mystery shopping.

 

 

 

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