At the ChangeNow Summit 2025 in Paris, Renault Group reaffirmed its status as a trailblazer in sustainable automotive innovation. Four years into its Renaulution strategic transformation, the French automaker unveiled Renault Emblème — a family demo-car that slashes life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by a staggering 90% compared to its 2019 petrol predecessor. This isn’t just a concept car; it’s a symbol of what’s possible when decarbonisation becomes a central business metric, not just a distant aspiration.
Electrification as the Catalyst for Change
Renault Group’s vision is clear: electrification is the cornerstone of sustainable mobility. In Europe, shifting from combustion engines to 100% electric powertrains can halve a vehicle’s CO2e footprint. With twelve electric vehicles now in its range, Renault is not merely keeping pace — it’s setting the rhythm for an increasingly competitive industry.
Yet electrification is only part of the equation. As Josep-Maria Recasens, Renault Group’s Chief Strategy Officer and CEO of Ampere, noted during his keynote, the Group’s strategy goes beyond powertrains:
“We have embraced the electrical and software transition in an inclusive way, upgrading and reskilling our employees through ReKnow University… and we offer a range of affordable electric vehicles produced in France.”
From Refactory to The Future Is NEUTRAL
Since 2021, Renault Group has accelerated its circular economy strategy through two pivotal initiatives: The Refactory in Flins and the subsidiary The Future Is NEUTRAL. The former — the first European industrial hub dedicated to circular mobility — serves as a model for repair, reuse, and remanufacturing. The latter extends these principles across the entire automotive sector, offering 360° circular economy solutions.
These efforts are already yielding measurable results. On average, 30% of materials in Renault’s new models are sourced from the circular economy. It’s a testament to how environmental stewardship can be seamlessly integrated into industrial scale.
Decarbonisation at the Heart of Strategy
The Group’s decarbonisation targets are not side projects — they are baked into the very framework of Renault’s strategic metrics. Under the Renaulution plan, decarbonisation now holds equal weight to traditional performance indicators like competitiveness and profitability. Between 2019 and 2024, this shift has driven a 40% reduction in Renault’s in-use emissions and a 50% drop in industry emissions across its European operations.
Emblème: The Future in Prototype
The Renault Emblème is more than a car; it’s a forward-looking statement of intent. Designed to combine comfort, habitability, and high-tech innovation, the vehicle embodies the possibilities of radical sustainability. It uses recycled and recyclable materials extensively, benefits from closed-loop production systems, and has been engineered for maximum energy efficiency across its lifecycle — from design and production to use and end-of-life.
Against the baseline of a 2019 fossil-fuel-powered Captur, which emitted approximately 50 tonnes of CO2e, the Emblème emits just 5 tonnes across its full life cycle. That’s a 90% reduction — a benchmark that redefines what’s achievable in family mobility.
A New Standard for the Industry
Speaking alongside Recasens, Cléa Martinet, Renault’s Sustainability Director and CSO of Ampere, highlighted the importance of cross-functional sustainability:
“The shift we’re making is holistic. Sustainability informs every department, every decision. It’s not a siloed objective — it’s the lens through which we evaluate our success.”
As Europe tightens its emissions regulations and consumer demand for ethical, sustainable mobility increases, Renault’s comprehensive approach positions it well ahead of the curve. Emblème is not just a showcase of technical progress — it’s a roadmap for automakers worldwide seeking to reconcile profitability with planetary responsibility.
More Than a Car, a Commitment
Renault Group’s unveiling of the Emblème at ChangeNow 2025 encapsulates a bold but practical vision of sustainable automotive progress. It proves that with the right infrastructure, partnerships, and resolve, electrification and circularity can work in concert — not in conflict. As the race toward climate-neutral mobility intensifies, Renault isn’t just participating. It’s leading.
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