Developing sustainability reporting - Case Cargotec - Aaltodoc

5.4. Life cycle approach to Cargotec’s sustainability reporting
According to Rasi’s (2009) master’s thesis study, using Cargotec’s products is the stage of the
product life cycle (see Figure 1) where the most material environmental impacts are caused:
using Cargotec’s products causes considerably more greenhouse gas emissions than
manufacturing them. This is mostly because of the fuel that the products consume while they are
being used.
Figure 1: Life cycle of Cargotec’s products (Cargotec annual report 2011).
Similarly, VTT’s (2011) customer report finds that the use stage of the product life cycle has the
most material environmental impacts. The report states that in terms of greenhouse gas
emissions, for mineral-based fuels the most significant life cycle phase of a vehicle or work
machine is the use phase. The next most significant life cycle phases are material production and
fuel production. VTT’s simplified life cycle assessments of the use phase covered three products:
Hiab Hook Lift XR18S, Kalmar Straddle Carrier ESC-W, and MacGregor Hatch Cover.
According to the report, the carbon footprints of these products result mainly from exhaust
emissions.
Since the most significant environmental impacts of Cargotec are generated through the use of
products by customers, the main focus of the company’s sustainability work will be on
enhancing customers’ sustainability (Cargotec annual report 2011). The Public Relations
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