For a just cause

In Africa, changing precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and more extreme weather have all contributed to mounting food insecurity, poverty, and displacement in 2020. This has compounded the socio-economic and health crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, but luckily, there are many continuing to fight the good fight.

The State of the Climate in Africa 2020 report* provides a snapshot of climate change trends and impacts, including sea level rise and the melting of East Africa’s iconic glaciers. “In sub-Saharan Africa, climate change could further lower gross domestic product by up to 3% by 2050. This presents a serious challenge for climate adaptation and resilience actions because not only are physical conditions getting worse, but also the number of people being affected is increasing,” explains Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, commissioner for rural economy and agriculture at the African Union Commission (read more on this in the first edition of 2022 from our sister publication, SHEQ MANAGEMENT Magazine). But thankfully, all hope is not yet lost…

CLEANER COMBUSTIBLES FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE?

Volkswagen plans to reduce the carbon footprint of its fleet in Europe by 40% by the year 2030 (compared to 2018). This means that by then, each Volkswagen vehicle will emit 17 tonnes less CO₂ on average throughout its lifecycle. To this end, the company is increasingly focusing on fully and partially electric vehicles.

Alongside its accelerated ramp-up efforts in the area of electric mobility, Volkswagen is systematically developing the existing combustion engine range further, in order to meet different customer needs while accounting for varying drive system preferences and general conditions around the world.

All Volkswagen models with four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection diesel engines delivered since the end of June 2021 are approved for operation with paraffinic diesel fuels, in accordance with European standard EN 15940. “Through the use of environmentally-friendly fuels in the approved Volkswagen models, we are making it possible for customers throughout Europe to significantly reduce their CO₂ emissions as soon as the fuel is locally available,” explains Prof. Thomas Garbe, head of petrol and diesel fuels at Volkswagen. “For example, the use of paraffinic fuels is a sensible additional option, particularly for companies with a mixed fleet made up of models with electric and conventional drives.”

These newly-developed diesel fuels contain bio-components, leading to significant CO₂ savings of 70 to 95% compared with conventional diesel. There is a wide range of different paraffinic fuels as well, including those produced from biological residuals, as well as waste materials such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). These vegetable oils, which are converted into hydrocarbons in a reaction with hydrogen, can be used as a standalone fuel or added to diesel fuel in any quantity.

Vegetable oils like rapeseed oil can also be used to produce HVO, but the maximum environmental benefit is obtained via biological residual and waste materials such as used cooking oil and sawdust.

Biofuels such as HVO are already available on the international market, and it is likely that their share in the energy market for road transport in Europe could increase to between 20 and 30% within the next 10 years.

MORE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING TO PROMOTE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?

TotalEnergies Lubrifiants is also fighting the good fight, a year after the launch of the Quartz Xtra range. This was developed to meet the needs of the latest generation of engines (such as hybrids and downsized), providing significant fuel savings of up to 4%. Now, the company is stepping up its efforts to promote the circular economy, taking things a step further by offering high density polyethylene (HDPE) cans for the Quartz Xtra range. These HDPE cans are made from 50% recycled plastics and are 100% recyclable, multiple times.

“We are committed to offering our partners and customers solutions that promote a circular economy,” says Jean Parizot, automotive director of TotalEnergies Lubrifiants. “This project demonstrates our technical expertise and our ability to innovate, putting our products at the service of mobility that is both efficient and sustainable.”

A GLOBAL LEADER STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE?

Shell has a history of innovation in lubricants and was one of the first suppliers to market cleaner, purer lubricants made from natural gas. As customer needs evolved, Shell continued to innovate and has now extended its Shell E-Fluids portfolio to support battery electric as well as fuel cell electric powertrains for all passenger and commercial vehicles.

The company has retained its status as the leading global supplier of finished lubricants for a 15^th consecutive year, according to the 19^th edition of Kline & Company’s Global Lubricants: Market Analysis and Assessment report in 2021.

Using 2020 as the base year, the report covers all leading lubricant-consuming country markets, market segments, product types, and formulations. Shell retains the number one ranking for all three lubricants categories tracked by Kline – consumer automotive, commercial automotive, and industrial.

According to this latest report, Shell maintained its leading global market share relative to the year prior with a slight market share increase over the next largest international oil company supplier. Shell’s total volume sold was approximately 4 100 kilotonnes of finished lubricants, equivalent to approximately 4,6 billion litres. These global sales were split almost evenly between the three segments at the same percentage split as the previous year: 34% consumer automotive, 36% industrial, and 30% commercial automotive.

“This report confirms Shell as the leading global lubricant supplier across cars, trucks, and industrial equipment for 15 straight years, underscoring the business’s long-standing commitment to customers and reflecting the strength of our product portfolio,” says Machteld de Haan, executive vice-president for Shell Lubricants. “We have maintained our market-leading position and extended our competitive advantage thanks to our scale, brand equity, technological leadership, and customer relationships.”

As the world’s leading lubricants supplier, Shell Lubricants has a critical role to play in supporting its target of becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, while helping customers reduce their carbon footprint. During 2021 Shell launched one of the largest carbon-neutral programmes in the lubricants industry, enabling customers in key markets worldwide to choose carbon-neutral lubricants across select brands.

The company aims to offset the annual emissions of more than 200 million litres of advanced synthetic lubricants, expecting to compensate for around 700 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year. This is equivalent to taking approximately 340 000 cars off the road for one year.

IS THIS ALL TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

While many of these developments are being implemented abroad, any steps that are being taken to battle global warming provide a glimmer of hope for our continent. “Africa is witnessing increased weather and climate variability, which leads to disasters and disruption of economic, ecological, and social systems,” says Sacko. “By 2030, it is estimated that up to 118 million extremely poor people (living on less than USD 1,90/day) will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat in Africa, if adequate response measures are not put in place. This will place additional burdens on poverty alleviation efforts and significantly hamper growth in prosperity.”

All those who can, we urge you to please join this just cause!

* A new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization – a specialised agency of the United Nations whose mandate covers weather, climate and water resources. Other contributors include the African Union Commission and the Economic Commission for Africa through the Africa Climate Policy Centre, as well as United Nations agencies and international and regional scientific organisations.