TRATON GROUP and WWF Sweden Establish Strategic Partnership to Tackle Biodiversity Risks and Advance Sustainable Resource Use in Commercial Vehicles

TRATON GROUP and WWF Sweden Establish Strategic Partnership to Tackle Biodiversity Risks and Advance Sustainable Resource Use in Commercial Vehicles

(IN BRIEF) TRATON GROUP and WWF Sweden have launched a three-year partnership supported by a new WWF-authored study exploring the commercial vehicle sector’s relationship with nature. The report highlights that while electrification reduces emissions, it can also create environmental challenges tied to resource extraction and material demand, urging companies to address biodiversity risks alongside climate goals. It outlines practical pathways such as sustainable sourcing, circular economy initiatives, materials innovation, and cross-value-chain collaboration to help the industry reduce environmental impact while strengthening long-term resilience.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 18-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — TRATON GROUP and WWF Sweden have jointly introduced a new study examining how the commercial vehicle industry both relies on and affects natural ecosystems, while also announcing a three-year partnership aimed at strengthening action on biodiversity-related challenges. The collaboration will focus on advancing TRATON’s work in responsible resource use, water stewardship, and circular business practices.

Authored by WWF Sweden, the report, titled Looking beyond greenhouse gas emissions—Interlinkages between the commercial vehicle sector and nature, provides the analytical basis for the partnership. It outlines how environmental pressures such as biodiversity decline, limited natural resources, and climate change are creating growing operational and supply chain risks for companies throughout the sector.

While the shift toward low-emission and electric technologies is helping reduce greenhouse gas output, the study emphasizes that this transformation can also introduce new environmental pressures. These include the extraction of raw materials, land-use changes, and pollution associated with battery production and disposal. Demand for minerals such as lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements is rising simultaneously across multiple industries, including renewable energy, intensifying cumulative strain on ecosystems and highlighting the need for coordinated, cross-industry solutions.

The report calls for collective industry action to balance decarbonization with broader environmental responsibility and identifies several priority areas for collaboration. Among them is the adoption of more sustainable sourcing practices, including working with suppliers that meet recognized environmental and social standards. Expanding recycling systems and embedding circular economy principles are also highlighted as ways to reduce waste and environmental impact, particularly for components with large material footprints. Additionally, the study points to innovation in materials and product design as a pathway to lowering dependence on scarce resources, alongside stronger cooperation across the value chain to deliver systemic progress.

Mats Landén, Senior Manager Corporate Partnerships at WWF Sweden, noted that nature-related risks increasingly translate into tangible business risks, making proactive environmental strategies essential for long-term resilience, stronger supply chains, and new market opportunities. Andreas Follér, Chief Sustainability Officer at TRATON GROUP, added that the collaboration has enhanced understanding of how the commercial vehicle industry interacts with natural systems and underscored the importance of leadership and industry-wide cooperation to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is carried out in a more sustainable way.

The partnership is intended not only to guide TRATON’s own sustainability actions but also to provide insights and direction for stakeholders across the commercial vehicle ecosystem.

The full report is now available at the following link: https://traton.com/dam/jcr:400d327f-337b-4a37-a2ea-349342143b0e/20260217_WWF-Report_Looking-beyond-greenhouse-gas-emissions.pdf

About the TRATON GROUP

With its brands Scania, MAN, International, and Volkswagen Truck & Bus, TRATON SE is the parent and holding company of the TRATON GROUP and one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. The Group’s product portfolio comprises trucks, buses, and light-duty commercial vehicles. “Transforming Transportation Together. For a sustainable world.”: this intention underlines the Company’s ambition to have a lasting and sustainable impact on the commercial vehicle business and on the Group’s commercial growth.

About WWF

WWF is the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organization, with over six million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. We will do this by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. As part of its effort to achieve this mission, WWF works in partnership with companies based on a common understanding of issues, shared ambitions or activities, and a willingness to speak out in public.

About the study

The study is based on global, public data from the commercial vehicle industry (medium and heavy duty) that has been analyzed via WWF’s Risk Filter Suite, a tool that maps a company’s – and in this case, an entire industry’s – risk areas linked to nature. The study looks at different types of risks, such as increasing deforestation due to increased production of natural rubber and increasing commodity prices, or brands being scrutinized for their high environmental impact. Experts at WWF Sweden have created the contents for the report. The TRATON GROUP contributed input regarding the commercial vehicle sector.

Media Contacts:

Sacha Klingner
Head of External Communications
T +49 170 2250016
sacha.klingner@traton.com

Claudia Fuhrmann
Media Relations
T +49 152 08636978
claudia.fuhrmann@traton.com

TRATON SE
Hanauer Straße 26 / 80992 München / Deutschland
www.traton.com

WWF

Mats Landén
Senior Manager Corporate Partnerships
T +46 73 3116806
mats.landen@wwf.se

Erika Reje
Communications Manager
T ++46 85 4657533
erika.reje@wwf.se

SOURCE: TRATON GROUP