Change Starts Here.
“If I were an adult, I would care for the environment a lot more than grown-ups do today – we need to make the world better! I worry that one day I might not be able to play in the forest anymore.” These words from seven-year-old Siri Riutta echo the concerns of millions of children across the world.
Like Siri, caring for the environment comes natural for the younger generation. Their call for action to the older generation, that today holds the power to decide how to combat climate change, is real and at Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) we listen and acknowledge the vital role we have to play to drive the change needed. What’s more, we owe it to Siri and to future generations. We are probably the last generation that can make a real difference and build the world we want to live in, rather than the world we are left with.
Carl Slotte, Head of Sales Region Europe at Volvo CE, says: “First of all, I am extremely proud to work for a company, like Volvo CE, that has ambitious and concrete sustainability goals. As one of the leading companies in our industry we have a responsibility, and we take it. Our climate targets are clear: from 2040 we shall have 100% fossil fuel free vehicles across the Volvo Group and reach net zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions.”
As an enabler and platform to drive the message of change, Volvo CE has launched a new marketing campaign, ‘Change Starts Here’. This new marketing approach has two main purposes. The first is to take the lead in driving change within the very important areas of sustainability, electromobility and services and to encourage all our stakeholders to join to take action. And the other is to demonstrate to customers how we are transforming our industry through our offering within these three key areas – and to do so while giving them an equally good experience of these messages no matter if they engage through a virtual or physical platform. That is what the omnichannel approach is about.
Last year, Volvo CE announced its intentions to adopt a new omnichannel marketing approach that will allow us to connect with our customers, dealers and other stakeholders via a mix of virtual and physical events. Whilst the challenges we face require us to work more closely and collaboratively, it is just not practical or sustainable for this to be all in-person. So, we are soon launching an exciting new virtual platform and offering our stakeholders choice in how they interact with us. Volvo Days, our flagship customer relationship building event in Eskilstuna, Sweden in June, will, for example, have a new look and feel, with both physical and virtual options to join us and experience what we have to offer. Digital and physical experiences connected in a way not done before – coupled with the red thread of sustainability, electromobility and services.
Sustainability is the overarching umbrella for our strategic agenda where clearly defined science-based targets make the foundation for our future development. Electrification is one key to drive a fossil-free industry going forward and Volvo CE is today offering the widest range of electric compact machines on the market and has a clear pathway to grow and extend our electric offering, from compact machines to heavy equipment.
With our services, we have an opportunity to help customers maximize the productivity and efficiencies of their worksites.
Action not words
It’s easy to talk about the importance of change, but the world doesn’t need more words, it needs action. The world depends on our industry to contribute to growth while reducing our climate footprint. It depends on us to construct buildings and infrastructure for the benefit of people everywhere. It depends on us to work together to build the world we want to live in.
So let’s demonstrate the action we’re taking:
- We live in a world where sustainability requirements are increasing by the minute. Electromobility is key when you want to be able to compete. At Volvo CE, we have the widest range of commercial electric machines of any OEM that can move your business forward.
- Proof of our commitment to drive electrification in partnership is the cooperation with the FIA World Rallycross Championship, which gives us a global platform to demonstrate the potential of electric power across industries.
- Our recently launched CO₂ Reduction Program is another way we are looking to help customers tackle their carbon footprints and we are continuing to evolve the services and solutions we offer.
- Change starts with people. To succeed we depend on people with different perspectives. So when we heard that many girls give up on their engineering dreams at a young age, we decided to inspire and encourage them through a series of engineering workshops.
We have a real opportunity to make a difference together, and to build the world we want to live in; for us, for Siri and the future generations, customers, suppliers, policymakers. Let´s do this together! Change Starts Here.