SDG 13

: the impact of the German automotive industry on decarbonizing the sector

Abstract

In the context of climate change and increasing demand for sustainability, the Sustainable Devolvement Goals are more important for businesses than ever. The targets set by the United Nation are a complex system of interlinked goals, which require great commitment and understand to serve their purpose. As greenhouse gas emissions play a crucial role and the automotive sector is among largest contributors, this thesis thrives to analyze the impact of the sector on the achievement of the sub-targets of SDG 13. As current research is mainly focusing on the general contribution of businesses to SDG 13, this dissertation focuses on individual methods and critical challenges of the German automotive industry, as the leading country in the sector. To validate relevant theory in the automotive sector, data has been collected through a comprehensive review of Literature on the role of businesses and the automotive sector to reduce GHG emissions and contributing to SDGs. The literature is complemented by interviews with industry experts – from different sectors engaging with the automotive branch. Analyzing the outcomes highlights the importance of the Germany in the transformation process as well as the need for close engagement with stakeholders. Nevertheless it also reveals the dependency on other sectors such as the energy and raw material industries.

Date of Award	29 Apr 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Moreira da Cruz (Supervisor)