‘ESG has a significant impact on how we, carmakers, do our business’ – Nissan CEO

Alongside its recent announcement to be carbon neutral by 2050, and to electrify all its new vehicles by the beginning of the next decade, Nissan is also committing to greater Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG).

In an interview with CNBC, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said “ESG has become a priority for our industry,” both from the perspective of the long-term impact of emissions as well as the quality of governance. 

“ESG has a significant impact on how we, carmakers, do our business. Of course for the past couple of decades industry has come under considerable pressure from government and society to be more sustainable,” he told CNBC.

However, dealing with a more conscious consumer has created the need for a greater emphasis on areas such as electrification, autonomy and connectivity, “which I think the industry has to move on.”

The electric Nissan Leaf, which the automaker has been producing since 2010, is among the top 10 best-selling plug-in electric vehicle models worldwide in 2020, according to Statista.com which surveyed electric vehicle sales globally by model.