From the leather used for its car seats to the engines built for planes and ships, the British company is on a mission to reach net zero by 2050.
Rolls-Royce, like any other company, is feeling the pressure from consumers to reduce its carbon emissions. Considering its products’ use of fossil fuels and the pressures of the manufacturing process, that is, as admitted by the company’s chief executive Warren East, “extremely challenging”.
But that hasn’t stopped Rolls-Royce from unveiling an ambitious programme to reach net zero.
The company plans for all its new products to be compatible with net zero targets by 2030 and to achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest.
At the heart of the plan is research and development spending. At present, about 50% of it is targeted at low carbon and net zero tech. This is to rise to 75%.
The company spends more than one billion pounds each year on R&D, although the pandemic caused that to fall in 2020. According to Mr East that figure will grow again as the aviation industry recovers.
The average Rolls Royce uses around 18 full cow hides in its interior, each one sustainably sourced. No wonder the fragrance of new, best-quality leather is precisely the fragrance of the world’s most luxurious cars.
Josslyn Shi from California College of Art has been crowned Overall Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition at a glittering final event held at the U.S. Embassy in London.
The brand new version teams the luxurious leather with a matt black sole. Contrasting white stitching is used to add contrast and detail to the darkness.
Zeyin credits the start of their love of leather products to when he had to recommend leather bag design ideas to his mother for her small-scale leather business when he was twelve. His multi-functional design was inspired by various reading materials like
Think Small is where RLSD takes a look at some of the companies around the world that we think are doing the right thing with leather. This is a greenwashing-free zone – no matter what they produce, sustainability is at the heart of what they do.
Todd Sutherland has been shooting still life in the industry for over 15 years. His portfolio boasts an array of luxury clientele from cars, fashion accessories, jewellery and much more. We are excited to welcome him as our new contributing editor!
