To increase transparency and sustainability along its supply chains, Continental is actively working with competitors and stakeholders in various collaborative industry approaches. For example, as an innovation driver in the natural rubber sector, Continental and partners (Michelin, SMAG) have already introduced the establishment of the joint venture Rubberway for digital risk analysis of the upstream supply chain (Tier 1 - Tier X) in 2019.
Since 2018 already, we have been involved in a joint project with the German development aid agency GIZ in Indonesian West Kalimantan on Borneo to prevent sustainability risks. Smallholder farmers in the natural rubber sector are trained to grow high-quality raw material in compliance with clearly defined sustainability criteria. The aim is to improve the income of the project participants through higher-quality natural rubber.
Our highly qualified experts have been researching innovative sustainable materials such as natural rubber from russian dandelion for many years. The central aim of the project Taraxagum is to stop importing natural rubber exclusively from the tropics in the future and to produce it as close as possible to the tire plants in order to prevent ongoing deforestation and to reduce CO2 emissions caused by long transport routes.