Decarbonization with the Vision of a “Zero Impact Factory” | 2026 Global Decarbonization Forum

Decarbonization with the Vision of a "Zero Impact Factory" | 2026 Global Decarbonization Forum

At the Global Decarbonization Forum 2026, Alexander Zahn, Head of Environmental and Sustainability Management at Volkswagen Group Components, makes the case for what happens when a major industrial supplier stops chasing relative improvements and commits to an absolute target: zero.

In this keynote, Alexander walks through the full arc of Volkswagen Group Components' environmental journey, from the Think Blue Factory program launched in 2010, to the Zero Impact Factory vision that replaced it, to the impact points methodology that puts every environmental KPI from CO2 to water scarcity to waste into a single comparable dimension for the first time.

He also tackles the challenge that most industrial decarbonization programs eventually run into: once you have dealt with electricity, the thermal energy problem is waiting. With 23% of CO2 emissions tied to heat and process gas across foundries, coating lines, and room heating systems that are decades old, Alexander lays out the four-step structured approach Volkswagen Group Components is using to electrify what can be electrified, and be honest about what cannot yet.

Watch now to see what 68% CO2 reduction since 2018 looks like in practice, and what it takes to close the remaining gap.