The Methodology for the 2024 Automotive and Transportation Manufacturers Benchmark

The transformation required to decarbonize the movement of people and freight starts with the technological choices for powering vehicles, vessels, planes, and trains. By 2030 sales of electric vehicles need to outstrip conventional ones (IEA 2024), hydrogen vessels must be market-ready (IEA 2023) and the first hybrid electric regional aircraft take-off (IATA 2023). With a sector that is responsible for about 21% of global energy emissions, we aim to assess how keystone manufacturers are preparing for this technological shift.

Using systems thinking, the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) identified 30 automotive companies and 14 other transportation manufacturers globally – exerting significant influence on SDGs and Paris Agreement goals.

This Climate and Energy Benchmark will evaluate the climate performance of automotive and transportation manufacturers using ACT sectoral methodologies complemented by a social and just transition assessment. This marks a culmination in striving for a comprehensive system view on global energy use and decarbonisation efforts.