Scania is to hold the CEO Alliance in 2023, a crucial strategic European co-operation with the overriding purpose of hastening the transition to a sustainable future. The presidency coincides with Sweden’s in the EU, providing a rare chance to lobby for legislation and public investments that would pave the way for, among other things, sustainable transportation.
Scania assumed the chairmanship on 12 December, when the CEOs of the 13 global member firms met in Rome for their annual conference. “As president of the CEO Alliance, I will push for an even faster decarbonisation as the base for a competitive European industry. The alliance plays a key role in the work to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of European business, and to secure the shift to a more sustainable society,” says Scania’s President and CEO Christian Levin.
The CEO Alliance does two things. The alliance acts as a supporter and spokesperson for senior EU decision-makers in favour of an aggressive implementation of the EU’s Green New Deal and “Fit for 55” rule. Furthermore, it organises co-operative initiatives within sustainability to highlight the commercial prospects of climate change.
Scania, as the CEO Alliance’s presiding firm, bears overall responsibility for operational performance. This includes organising co-operative initiatives among the 13 member corporations and engaging in communication with key EU decision-makers.
“During spring 2023, Sweden, where Scania is established with headquarters and production, holds the presidency of the EU. At the same time, many key regulatory proposals for decarbonisation are on the table – the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) being only one of them. This, in combination with the unstable situation in the world, gives Scania and the CEO Alliance a unique window of opportunity as advocates for ambitious decarbonisation,” says Jennie Cato, Head of Public Affairs and Partnerships at Scania Group, representing Scania in CEO Alliance’s so-called sherpa group. The sherpas are responsible for coordinating the day-to-day work of the Alliance and consist of one representative from each partner company.
Scania has spearheaded a collaborative initiative within the CEO Alliance on heavy-duty vehicle charging infrastructure thus far, while also engaging in projects on energy efficiency in buildings, green bonds, connectivity and data aggregation in the transportation sector, and e-buses. The now-defunct charging infrastructure project served as a springboard for a collaboration between TRATON Group (of which Scania is a member), Daimler Truck, and Volvo Group to build and run at least 1,700 public, high-performance charge outlets for commercial vehicles across Europe.
The alliance’s CEOs meet twice a year, and there is constant communication between the 13 sherpas and among the joint project groups. Scania, as the presiding firm, will host the bi-annual CEO meeting this summer at its headquarters in Södertälje, Sweden.
