Birla Carbon released its 10^th annual sustainability report today, titled ‘On the Road to Net Zero’. The 2022 report states the various targets Birla Carbon has achieved during the year to fulfill its sustainability goals, and its net zero aspiration by 2050. According to Birla Carbon, the report also focuses on the progress with Continua Sustainable Carbonaceous Materials (SCM). 

Birla Carbon claims that this marks their decade of sustainability reporting as a carbon black leader.

• The key highlights of the report include –
   

1. EcoVadis platinum rating for sustainable business practices. 
2. 67 percent of waste repurposed – includes recycling, reuse and recovery.
3. Refinancing existing debts through a US $750 million loan linked to sustainability performance.
4. Only carbon black multinational to receive IATF certification across all its manufacturing sites.

John Loudermilk, Chief Executive Officer at Birla Carbon, said, “At Birla Carbon, sustainability and innovation are integral pillars that define success. We leverage every aspect to ensure the future of our business, customers, communities, and the world is sustainable. This has been recently reflected in our Platinum rating by EcoVadis for sustainable business practices. From a business standpoint, innovation is going to be the mainstay of everything we do at Birla Carbon. We recognise the risks and rewards of our innovative past; learn how to future-focus today’s passions and perspectives towards a better tomorrow, and find inspiration to journey together into the unknown.”

Loudermilk further added, “As Birla Carbon celebrates 10 years of commitment to sustainable practices, our decade of chronicling sustainability deserves a special mention in this report – On the Road to Net Zero.”

Joe Gaynor, Chief Legal, Sustainability and Risk Officer at Birla Carbon, mentioned, “Sustainability for Birla Carbon began long before our first official sustainability report in 2013. In the last 10 years, we have aligned our activities to our business vision to be the most respected, sustainable and dynamic global carbon black leader. We have made efforts and taken bold steps to cement our position in the market as a preferred sustainable partner for our customers. This, for us, is our real achievement. We believe in providing value to our customers, primarily by developing innovative products that benefit our common value chains, constantly strive to make our operations more sustainable so that we minimise our environmental footprint, and ultimately, give back to the communities and the society in which we operate.”

The annual report is available online at www.sustainability.birlacarbon.com

The N Vision intelligent tyre from Maxxis has strengthened its resolve for innovation and sustainability by winning the gold A’ (A-Prime) Design award. The tyre was recognised in the Vehicle Parts, Auto Accessories and Care Products design category.

N Vision, which was created for the autonomous vehicles that are expected to be commercially available in 2030, makes use of information from several sensors to forecast tyre condition, vehicle load, speed and road conditions. By modifying the spokes' stretch and bending in response to such circumstances, it gives the tread area the best possible pre-compression or pre-tension. In the end, this lowers the cost of travel per mile. In order to maximise sustainability, N Vision was built using recycled materials made from fishing nets, tyres and PET bottles, as well as bio-based components made from rice husks and sunflower seeds. Tyre scrapping is decreased by its environmentally friendly design and materials, which also give customers an inexpensive, renewable travel choice.

A jury composed of 316 top designers, scholars and prominent members of the press selected the winners of the international A' Design Award competition, which recognises excellence in design in a wide range of fields, including transportation, hospitality, furniture, beauty and much more.

The Victra Sport 6 and HP6 tyres from Maxxis have won the Red Dot Product Design Award for 2025 in the Vehicle Accessories category.

The Maxxis Premitra HP6 features improved rolling resistance, effective braking, a smooth ride, improved mileage for longer travel and accurate handling in wet situations. Designed for sport and luxury automobiles, the Maxxis Victra Sport 6 is an ultra-high-performance tyre that works well with electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It offers outstanding handling and performs quite well at sporty, faster driving. Both the tyres are available in Europe.

Red Dot Award winners are selected by a panel of 40 worldwide professionals who test, analyse and assess each entry in one of the biggest design contests in the world. The categories for awards include Design Concept, Brand Communication and Product Design. Winners will receive the Red Dot trophies during a banquet in Essen, Germany, on 8 July.

Continental's SportContact 7 tyre has emerged the test winner in this year's Auto Bild sportscar summer tyre test (issue 6/25) with an overall grade of 1.2 (exemplary).

Seven tyre models in the sizes VA 245/35 R 20 and HA 295/30 R 20 from European, Asian and American manufacturers were tested by the editors. The Lotus Emira served as the test car. The SportContact 7 scored top marks in wet handling, cornering, braking and aquaplaning. It had a 43.7-metre braking distance from 100 kmph on wet asphalt, which put it four metres ahead of the second-place tyre and eleven meters ahead of the last-place tyre. It clinched an intermediate score of 1- for the wet tests, which puts it far ahead of its rivals in the test field. After 31.2 metres at 100 kmph in the dry testing, the tyre came to a complete stop. Overall, the tyre received an intermediate 1- throughout the five dry categories.

The SportContact 7 is specifically made for high-performance sports cars that may be powered by electricity or conventional power. Several automakers have authorised it, and it comes in sizes ranging from 18 to 24 inches. Continental concentrated on achieving excellence in every performance criterion throughout development in order to maximise driving enjoyment and safety.

Andreas Schlenke, tyre expert at Continental, said, "The SportContact 7 took first place in the AUTO BILD sportscar test in both wet and dry conditions. This once again proves its leading position in the sports and UHP tyre segment.”

The final verdict from the tyre testers read: "Conti's sport tyre sets the standard for braking on dry and wet roads and offers a big plus in driving safety. Stable, well-balanced handling on dry roads.”

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has welcomed the bipartisan passage of H.J.Res. 61, a resolution that improves environmental stewardship and lessens financial constraints on tyre manufacturing plants.

The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 20 representatives from 14 states and introduced by Representative Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), repeals the EPA's 29 November 2024 updated rule on Rubber Tire Manufacturing National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). With nine co-sponsors, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) spearheaded the campaign in the Senate with S.J.Res. 24. Before the House vote, USTMA sent in a letter of support for the measure. 

According to the EPA's own evaluation in 2020, the current guideline offers a sufficient margin of safety to safeguard human health and avert a negative environmental impact. On 29 November 2024, however, the EPA released an updated final NESHAP rule that added emission restrictions for total hydrocarbons (THC) and filterable particulate matter to the current NESHAP regulation, in defiance of the agency's own judgment. Because of this, tyre factories must build and run a large number of control devices called regenerative thermal oxidisers, which require a large amount of natural gas to burn impurities. In an effort to lower insignificant HAPs, these new control devices raise carbon emissions while placing a heavy financial burden on tyre manufacturing facilities with no clear emissions reduction target.  

The EPA's objective to protect America's clean air is shared by USTMA member companies. In order to reduce the negative impacts on the American tyre manufacturing business, the environment and the American economy, the USTMA supports Congressional action to overturn this final rule, even as it continues to collaborate with the EPA, the association stated.

Anne Forristall Luke, President and CEO, USTMA, said, “Tyre manufacturers have long understood and complied with the existing NESHAP standards to reduce hazardous air pollutant (HAPs) emissions from tyre manufacturing. However, the agency’s revised final NESHAP rule creates an adverse environmental impact, while imposing significant financial burdens on tyre manufacturing facilities and providing negligible, if any, benefits. The industry appreciates the Congressional leadership and bipartisan efforts in getting this resolution passed.”